It wasn't until our Tokyo adventure that I understood the sheer importance of this emoticon: 🍙. Light bulb moment! So much happiness... so much packaging.
Onigiri (🍙) are little parcels of rice, stuffed with salty or sour ingredients like umeboshi (plum), tuna, pickles or salmon, and wrapped in nori. 'Wait, so you mean like sushi right?' Oh heck no.. this little guy is a Japanese specialty in its own right. You will find the convenience store fridges heaving with these perfectly wrapped parcels all over Japan.
Each morning we would grab an onigiri or two (forever restrained from grabbing three) for the road. The ultimate snack to tide you over until breakfast. Onigiri fuelled many a hunt for a decent flat white or batch brew through the streets of Tokyo.
I stumbled across Purple Peanuts on Collins Street during my last trip to Melbourne, conjuring memories of Tokyo. This little Japanese cafe has been going strong since 2011 and championed the brown rice sushi explosion. You'll find a range of traditional eats including Tsuke Don, salmon sashimi marinated in mirin, sake, sesame and soy, and perfectly wrapped 🍙🍙 on the counter.
