Do we say yay or nay to the additive-free rice balls that can last 100 days at room temperature?
We've all been there–those nights when you forget to press the 'on' button of the rice cooker and find yourself some time later with a growling stomach and nothing to eat, not in the mood for instant noodles, and also don't have the energy to step outside. In precisely these kinds of situations, Hyakunigiri is the perfect solution.
These intriguing onigiri, or rice balls, the result of a collaboration between Kyoto-based restaurant Hyakushokuya and food company Ishii Shohin, first hit the market a few years ago. The lineup has slightly expanded since then to five flavors, all of which are high in protein and can last 100 ('hyaku') days at room temperature despite being additive-free, making them excellent choices for an emergency food rations kit.
▼ Hyakushokuya (logo pictured below) is a famous steak rice bowl restaurant that only sells 100 meals per day at lunchtime. It's certainly an interesting business model, but one that's working well for them.
There are five types of Hyakunigiri:
● Steak flavor ● Curry flavor ● Chahan (Chinese-style fried rice) flavor ● Chicken burdock rice flavor
● Chicken rice flavor
You can purchase a sampling set of all five flavors, with two pouches of each, for 2,600 yen (US$18). Otherwise, sets of five of each individual flavor cost 1,250 yen, apart from the steak flavor, which costs 1,500 yen for five.
The reason that Hyakunigiri can last so long without preservatives boils down to a combination of clever vacuum sealing and a heat sterilization technique. In order to eat them, you just have to pop them in the microwave or heat the pouch in boiling water until the rice reaches your desired level of firmness (suggested heating times range from 30 to 70 seconds in the microwave or 8 to 15 minutes in boiling water).
We wanted to start our taste test with the steak flavor since it's modeled after Hyakushokuya's famous restaurant menu item. As soon as we ripped open the pouch, we were immediately enveloped by a charcoal-like aroma.
Its flavor also packed a strong punch, with plenty of beef and seasoning in the rice. It tasted even more like a beef bowl than we expected, and was super satisfying as a whole.
Next up was the curry-flavored rice ball. This one also released a fragrance as soon as we opened the pouch.
It was chock-full of flavor. If we had to compare it with something, it had the taste and texture of a dry curry, sans gravy. It was also fairly spicy to the point that small children would probably have a hard time eating it. We figured that a slice of melted cheese on top of it would elevate its impact even more.
Moving along, it was time for the chahan (Chinese-style fried rice) flavor.
This one had the strong taste of black pepper, which would likely polarize some diners. That worked in our favor, though, and we quite enjoyed it as a fried rice with a peppery punch.
We actually decided to re-wrap this one in the shape of a regular onigiri and bring it to a local park to finish later. It served us well as a quick bite on-the-go–and dare we say it, was even tastier when eaten outside.
The second-to-last flavor we tried was chicken burdock rice. This is one of two Hyakunigiri marketed as having a 'gentler' flavor.
The bits of chicken and burdock throughout served as yummy accents within the rice. It had a comforting, quintessentially Japanese-style taste. True to its name, it wasn't overly strong, but it seemed to get tastier the more bites we took. It was perhaps our personal winner of the bunch.
For the fifth and final chicken rice flavor, we decided to heat it up in boiling water over a gas stove as we would likely have to do during a real emergency when there wouldn't be any electricity. This was the other Hyakunigiri said to have a gentler taste.
This method resulted in a better heat distribution and a softer overall texture. We were a bit bummed out, actually–we should have heated all of them up in this way!
Oh well. In terms of taste, it was solid, and we were tempted to add some egg to the mix to turn it into omuraisu.
The final verdict is that all of these Hyakunigiri are pretty amazing. Usually emergency food rations sacrifice flavor for functionality, but in this case, they were delicious enough to want to eat on the regular. We'll definitely keep some on hand for those days when we just don't want to cook–or, when we attempt some new culinary creation in the name of investigative journalism that falls a bit flat.
Reference: Ishii Shohin
All images © SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
SoraNews24
2 hours ago
- SoraNews24
Is katsudon a dish best served cold? Trying out the new Hiyashi Dashi Katsudon in Tokyo【Taste test】
West Japan pork cutlet chain has arrived in Tokyo, and it's brought something unusual for the summer. Most people would say that there aren't a lot of similarities between revenge and a pork cutlet bowl/katsudon. Among other key differences, revenge often leaves one feeling empty and consumed by sadness, while consuming katsudon is one of the quickest ways to achieve both fullness and joy. But could it be that these two things, opposites in so many ways, are both dishes best served cold? We're willing to accept the old adage about the ideal temperature of revenge at its word, but testing the merits of cold katsudon is a little trickier. Unlike, say, soba noodles or edamame, which are commonly eaten both hot and cold in Japan, pretty much no restaurants serve cold katsudon. Nobody, that is, but katsudon chain Yoshibei. Until very recently, if you wanted to go to Yoshibei you had to go to either Hyogo or Osaka Prefecture. Luckily for us, though, just this past June Yoshibei opened its very first east Japan branch, in downtown Tokyo's Ikebukuro neighborhood, not too far from SoraNews24 HQ. This meant we were now within lunchtime striking distance of Yoshibei's cold Hiyashi Dashi Katsudon, a special limited-time item it's added to the menu for the summer. The 980-yen (US$6.75) Hiyashi Dashi Katsudon's rhyming name is a result of it not only being served cold ('hiyashi'), but also with dashi, a mixture of bonito stock and soy sauce. After ordering the Hiyashi Dashi Katsudon, we waited for the server to bring us our katsudon… …and its accompanying bottle of dashi, which had been thoroughly chilled and was very cold to the touch. At this point, the katsudon is basically a variant on 'sauce katsudon,' with a glaze brushed onto the top of the cutlet, but with the addition of some sliced negi (green onion), nori (dried seaweed) and sesame seeds. The final step to transform it into Hiyashi Dashi Katsudon is left to diners themselves to perform, by raising the bottle and pouring its contents into the bowl. It was at this point that it dawned on us that the katsudon's additional toppings of nori and sesame seeds are also common components of ochazuke, a bowl of rice with dashi and/or green tea poured over it. And sure enough, the Hiyashi Dashi Katsudon's rice now tasted amazing, with the mixture of strong flavors and cold temperature refreshing and invigorating us on what had been another in the long string of super-hot days Japan has had this summer. Turning to the cutlet, it too had absorbed the additional flavor of the dashi, and to our surprise, the breading on the pieces of pork had retained its light crispiness, with no unpleasant sogginess having been introduced to the texture. However, things were about to get kicked up even one notch higher on the scale of deliciousness. If you've got sharp eyes, you might have noticed one ingredient in these photos that we haven't mentioned yet, and that we didn't expect to see either because it's left out of the Hiyashi Dashi Katsudon's name: yuzu kosho. This citrus chili paste is a zesty wasabi substitute, and mixing it into the dashi enhanced it with a quick kick of tart spice. ▼ The yuzu kosho sits atop the rice when the Hiyashi Dashi Katsudon is served, but Yoshibei has sort of buried the lede by leaving it out of the dish's name, since it's not a standard katsudon condiment. Put it all together, and the Hiyashi Dashi Katsudon is unique without feeling discordant, hearty enough to satisfy a healthy appetite but cold enough to still feel refreshing. Add in the fact that, like with ochazuke, it's OK to eat it with a spoon, and we polished ours off, happily, in lightning time. So, as weird as the idea seemed to us at first, cold katsudon really is great, and while you can only take revenge once, we're looking forward to repeating this meal a few more times before summer is over. Related: Yoshibei location list Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
Japan Today
20 hours ago
- Japan Today
Food arrives in Gaza after Israel pauses some fighting
Palestinians spend hours every day hunting for food at occasional aid distribution points to feed their displaced families By AFP team in Gaza with Dave Clark in Jerusalem Truckloads of food reached hungry Gazans on Monday after Israel promised to open secure aid routes, but humanitarian agencies warned vast amounts more were needed to stave off starvation. With Gaza's population of more than two million facing famine and malnutrition, Israel bowed to international pressure at the weekend and announced a daily "tactical pause" in fighting in some areas. "For the first time, I received about five kilos of flour, which I shared with my neighbour," said 37-year-old Jamil Safadi, who shelters with his wife, six children and a sick father in a tent near the Al-Quds hospital in Tel al-Hawa. Safadi, who has been up before dawn for two weeks searching for food, said Monday was his first success. Other Gazans were less fortunate; some complained aid trucks had been stolen or that guards had fired at them near US-backed aid centres. "I saw injured and dead people. People have no choice but to try daily to get flour. What entered from Egypt was very limited," said 33-year-old Amir al-Rash, still without food and living in a tent. Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza on March 2 after talks to extend a six-week ceasefire broke down. Nothing was allowed into the territory until late May, when a trickle of aid resumed. Now, the Israeli defence ministry's civil affairs agency says the UN and aid agencies had been able to pick up 120 truckloads of aid on Sunday and distribute it inside Gaza, with more on the way Monday. Basic supplies Jordan and the United Arab Emirates have begun air-dropping aid packages by parachute over Gaza, while Egypt has sent trucks through its Rafah border crossing to an Israeli post just inside Gaza. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, cautiously welcomed Israel's "humanitarian pauses" but warned Gaza needed at least 500 to 600 trucks of basic food, medicine and hygiene supplies daily. "We hope that UNRWA will finally be allowed to bring in thousands of trucks loaded with food, medicine and hygiene supplies. They are currently in Jordan and Egypt waiting for the green light," the agency said. "Opening all the crossings and flooding Gaza with assistance is the only way to avert further deepening of starvation among the people of Gaza." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly denied Israel was deliberately starving civilians as part of its intense 21-month-old war to crush the Palestinian group Hamas. Military spokesmen say the UN and aid agencies should quickly make use of the lull in fighting and secure aid routes, urging them to pick up and distribute aid delivered to Gaza border crossings. "An additional 180 trucks entered Gaza and are now awaiting collection and distribution, along with hundreds of others still queued for UN pickup," said COGAT, a defence ministry body that oversees Palestinian affairs. "More consistent collection and distribution by UN agencies and international organisations equals more aid reaching those who need it most in Gaza." UNRWA insisted it was ready to step up distribution, with 10,000 staff inside Gaza, waiting for deliveries. "According to our latest data one in every five children is malnourished in Gaza City. More children have reportedly died of hunger; bringing the death toll of starving people to over 100," the statement said. Over the weekend aid trucks began arriving from Egypt and Jordan and dropping their loads at distribution platforms just inside Gaza, ready to be picked up by agencies working inside the war-shattered territory. But their number still falls far short of what is needed, aid agencies warn, calling for a permanent ceasefire, the reopening of more border crossings and a long-term large-scale humanitarian operation. Field hospital C-section Truce talks between Israel and Hamas -- mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States -- have stumbled, and Netanyahu remains determined to push on with the campaign to destroy Hamas and recover Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Gaza's civil defence agency said 16 people were killed by Israeli fire Monday. Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said they included five people killed in an overnight strike on a residential building in the southern Gaza district of Al-Mawasi. A pregnant woman was among the dead, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent, which said its teams saved the woman's foetus by performing a Caesarean section in a field hospital. The violence in Gaza came against the backdrop of a UN conference in New York where France and Saudi Arabia will lead a diplomatic effort to revive the moribund push for a two-state peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. © 2025 AFP
Yomiuri Shimbun
a day ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Passengers Flee Smoking Jet on Emergency Slide after Apparent Landing Gear Problem at Denver Airport
Passengers slid down an emergency slide of a smoking jet at Denver International Airport due to a possible problem with the plane's landing gear, authorities said. American Airlines Flight 3023 reported a 'possible landing gear incident' during its departure from Denver on Saturday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The problem involved an aircraft tire, the Fort Worth, Texas-based airline said in a statement. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 carrying 173 passengers and six crew members was on its way to Miami International Airport, American said. Video aired by local media showed people sliding down the inflatable chute near the front of the plane while clutching luggage and small children. Some passengers, including at least one adult carrying a young child, tripped at the end of the slide and fell onto the concrete runway. Passengers were then taken to the terminal by bus. Shay Armistead, a 17-year-old from Minturn, Colorado, described a chaotic scene. After hearing a loud 'boom,' the plane 'started to violently shake and we were drifting to the left side of the runway,' Armistead told The Associated Press in an interview. Armistead and her teammates on a ski racing team were on their way from Colorado to Chile when it happened. 'I started grabbing my friend's hands, I was like 'Oh my God,' and then they slammed on the brakes, and we all like went forward and they finally brought the plane to a stop,' she said. 'It was just terrifying.' One of the passengers was taken to a hospital with a minor injury, American Airlines said in its statement. Five people were evaluated for injuries at the scene but did not require hospitalization, airport officials said. 'About halfway to takeoff speed, we hear a big bang and a pop,' passenger Shaun Williams told KUSA-TV. 'The pilot immediately started abort procedures for taking off. You could feel him start to hit the brakes.' Firefighters extinguished a fire on the aircraft, the Denver Fire Department said. 'All customers and crew deplaned safely, and the aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team,' American said. In a statement, the FAA said it's investigating. Armistead said she's thankful for everyone who helped her and the other passengers, and grateful that she's safe. 'You've just got to appreciate what you're given, and I'm so grateful that it wasn't worse,' Armistead said. ___ This story corrects the spelling of a passenger's name. She is Shay Armistead, not Armisteaz.
