obento
Obento means pack lunch in Japanese. If you bring rice in bamboo leaves which has a power to preserve food, that’s Bento, too. Put O- in front of it to respect the food. In Japan, it is a sign of respect when you put O- in front of noun.
I normally make O-bento for my eldest daughter. She goes to college in La Salle Taft, and goes to her ballet right after her classes. She has ballet practice sometimes until 11pm, so only the chance for her to eat is the time in the car, from La Salle to ballet studio in between Buen Dia and Vito Cruz.
This is one of her Obento I made. Brown rice with sesame seeds and salt, with picked radish called Takuan. Tamago-yaki is a traditional sweetened egg. Spinach with sweetened miso and crushed sesame seeds, cherry totatos.
In France, when I was there and wanted to have a packed lunch, and I was trying to explain to a french boy who helped in the kitchen, he called it “picnic (pique-nique).” Picnic is more like a meal eaten outdoors, and not necessarily means Obento. And in England, they call picnic sometimes potluck or cook out.
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