Onigiri or Rice Balls are one of the most popular food items in Japan, you can pretty much buy it everywhere in Japan since every convenience store carries them. 7-Elevens in Japan are insane, they carry restaurant quality food for very cheap prices and they have tons of Onigiri. I’m making one of the most popular flavors, Tuna-Mayo and every ingredient I use is from Trader Joe’s (except for the rice). It’s usually made with Japanese Medium or Short grain rice for it’s flavor and slightly sticky texture which is perfect for shaping onigiri. Trader Joe’s doesn’t carry short grain rice, so if you’re in a pinch, you can use jasmine rice – just add slightly more water when you’re cooking it so it’s little stickier than usual. I use an onigiri mold, because I like the perfect and consistent shape it creates, but if you don’t have one, watch this short video on how to shape it by hand.
If you can get your hands on some Kewpie Mayonnaise, it’s the best for Tuna-Mayo Onigiri, but Organic Mayonnaise from Trader Joe’s or Duke’s works well too.
You can check your local Japanese Market or order an onigiri mold here
