Kyaraben is a topic that often comes up in conversation among parents especially during the autumn season when a lot of sport events take place at schools. Short for ‘character bento’, kyaraben is the art of decorating lunch boxes with meticulously-shaped ingredients to make cute characters.
A lot of Japanese moms excel at making kyaraben for their children–anywhere from adorable bunnies and pandas to Totoro, Pikachu and even Minions! I’m not yet an expert, but I will probably begin practicing once my child starts kindergarten. It’s very helpful to have so many kyaraben recipe books and blogs accessible online so that anybody can give it a try.
If you have a friend who loves to cook, getting any of these kyaraben recipe books might make for a very special (and definitely unique) souvenir. Most of them are probably in Japanese but they are generally self-explanatory with lots of photos, and when in doubt, Google Translate!
There are several culinary techniques most parents in Japan know such as usagi ringo (apple slices cut to look like bunnies) and tako-san (octopus-shaped) sausages. These are wonderful introductions to kyaraben, which I actually learned from my mother when I was little.
I think kyaraben is a very interesting aspect of Japanese food culture that shows just how much value people allocate on presentation, and not just taste.
How about trying your hand at kyaraben in Tokyo? Click here: https://www.travelingspoon.com/hosts/4580-learn-to-prepare-a-modern-bento-box-or-traditional-japanese-dishes-with-an-expert