Welcome back to our series sharing Food Holidays: April 19th, 2022. Today is National Rice Ball Day which I could say I hadn’t heard of. When Suzzane was still here and her and my nephew David were younger, we went to Golden Correl for dinner.
David decided to make a Mashed Potato and Rice Ball for everyone to try at dinner. Not to be outdone Suzzane decided to roll Fried Okra in Carmal Sauce. Then they asked everyone at the dinner table to sample their creations. Before you ask if I did taste them no, I didn’t. But their grandmother did. Because like we all know she is Crazy Mimi.
Five facts about Rice Balls
- Rice Balls preserve very well. Rice Balls can even be used to preserve meats or other foods within its airtight seal.
- Rice Balls are traditionally Japanese.
- Typically, the Rice is soaked in Vinegar and made to stick together. Dipping the Rice Ball in Soy Sauce will cause the Rice Ball to fall apart again.
- Rice Balls date back at least as far as the 11th Century.
- Another word for the Rice Ball is “Onigiri”, a word commonly misused to refer to Sushi.
Fun Fact:
Popular Onigiri fillings include Tuna Salad, Salmon flakes, Seafood salad, Konbu a Sea Vegatable. Umeboshi a sour bright-red pickled Japanese Plum. Tempura, and even Natto.
“Onigri” literally means “to hold on to”.
It was believed that Onigiri could not be mass-produced as the hand-rolling technique was considered too difficult for a machine to replicate. In the 1980s, however, a machine that made triangular Onigiri was created.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
