When you think of bomb onigiri, you might imagine a large rice ball wrapped in seaweed, but the ones in Okinawa are a little different.

Okinawa's bomb rice balls are popular with people of all ages, from children to adults. They make a perfect snack, and are affectionately known in Okinawa as "bomb" or "bomb kamaboko."

Let's explore the characteristics and history of Okinawa's bomb rice balls.

Characteristics of Bomb Rice Ball

Okinawa's Bomb Rice Ball is a ball-shaped rice ball wrapped in fish paste and deep-fried. Some versions have ingredients mixed into the fish paste.

By the way, in Okinawa, fish paste mixed with burdock root, carrots, etc. and deep-fried is called "chikiagi." To put it simply, it is kamaboko.

The Okinawan kamaboko used in Bakudan Onigiri is made differently from regular kamaboko. Usually, fish paste is steamed, but Okinawan kamaboko is fried. Also, the paste is not stretched with water, so the rich flavor of the fish is concentrated.

There are many different kinds of Bomb Onigiri. The one I recommend is the Bomb Onigiri made with Okinawan-style cooked rice "Jushii." It's nice to be able to eat Okinawa's specialty Jushii and Kamaboko together.

Besides Juicy, there are also Bomb Rice Balls made with Taco Rice, Dry Curry, Black Rice, etc. White rice balls come with ingredients such as salmon, plum, and miso.

The combination of flavorful kamaboko and onigiri makes the Bakudan Onigiri filling even with just one. Even though it's made with kamaboko, it's not too thick and has a soft, chewy texture that makes it easy to eat.

The History of Bomb Rice Balls

Bomb onigiri was born in Itoman, a town known for its fishing villages. Itoman is also the birthplace of Okinawan kamaboko. In Itoman, mothers would collect fresh fish immediately after they were landed. It is said that they quickly ground the fish into paste to preserve its freshness, and that is how kamaboko was born.

It is said that the Bomb Rice Ball was made for fishermen, as when they ate rice balls while fishing, their hands would often get wet and the rice would fall apart, making it difficult to eat.

When the wives and mothers of fishermen heard this, they came up with a way to make it easier to eat on the sea, and so they came up with the Bomb Rice Ball. For this reason, it is also said to be the taste of a seaman's mother's cooking. There is also a theory that it was made as a meal for busy kamaboko (fish cake) shops.

You can eat Bakudan onigiri with one hand, and it's filling enough to be a meal for the whole family. Fish meat is packed with calcium and high-quality protein, so it's very nutritious. The taste changes depending on the type of rice and the ingredients you add, so you can enjoy it every day.

The name comes from the fact that it is filled with toppings. When you think of toppings, you think of bombs, right? Toppings (kayaku) means ingredients that are added to udon noodles or seasoned rice. The kamaboko contains seasoned rice or onigiri with toppings, so it was probably named "bomb onigiri."

How to eat Bomb Rice Balls deliciously

Bomb onigiri is a perfect combination of kamaboko and onigiri, and is delicious either as is or cooled. However, for those who want to add a little extra flavor, here are some delicious ways to eat it.

Grill and eat

You can just heat it up in the microwave or toaster oven, but it will taste even better if you put in a little extra effort. I recommend putting butter in a frying pan and frying it over low to medium heat until it is lightly browned. You can also add a little soy sauce at the end. Butter and soy sauce go well with kamaboko and rice, so this is a foolproof way to season it.

Make porridge

It is also recommended to make rice porridge with the Bomb Rice Ball. First, cut the Bomb Rice Ball into bite-sized pieces and break them apart. Then add the soup stock and it's done. It's easy to make if you use instant soup. Even on days when you don't have much of an appetite, you can eat it easily by making it into rice porridge.

How to get to Okinawa

To get to Okinawa's main island, where you can eat Bakudan Onigiri, it's convenient to take a direct flight to Naha Airport from all over the country.

Here is the flight time for direct flights. The flight time varies depending on the season and weather.

From Hokkaido/Tohoku area to Okinawa main island (Naha Airport)

・From New Chitose Airport: Approx. 3 hours 45 minutes ・From Sendai Airport: Approx. 3 hours 15 minutes

From the Kanto area to Okinawa main island (Naha Airport)

・About 2 hours 45 minutes from Haneda Airport ・About 3 hours from Narita Airport ・About 3 hours from Ibaraki Airport

From the Chubu area to Okinawa main island (Naha Airport)

・From Chubu Centrair International Airport: Approx. 2 hours 30 minutes ・From Niigata Airport: Approx. 3 hours ・From Komatsu Airport: Approx. 2 hours 45 minutes ・From Shizuoka Airport: Approx. 2 hours 45 minutes

From the Kinki area to Okinawa main island (Naha Airport)

・Approx. 2 hours 15 minutes from Kansai International Airport ・Approx. 2 hours 15 minutes from Itami Airport ・Approx. 2 hours 15 minutes from Kobe Airport

From the Chugoku area to Okinawa main island (Naha Airport)

・About 2 hours from Okayama Airport ・About 1 hour 45 minutes from Hiroshima Airport ・About 1 hour 45 minutes from Iwakuni Airport

From Shikoku area to Okinawa main island (Naha Airport)

・About 2 hours from Takamatsu Airport ・About 1 hour 45 minutes from Matsuyama Airport

From Kyushu area to Okinawa main island (Naha Airport)

・Approx. 1 hour 45 minutes from Fukuoka Airport・Approx. 1 hour 45 minutes from Kitakyushu Airport・Approx. 1 hour 30 minutes from Kumamoto Airport・Approx. 1 hour 30 minutes from Nagasaki Airport・Approx. 1 hour 30 minutes from Miyazaki Airport・Approx. 1 hour 30 minutes from Kagoshima Airport・Approx. 1 hour from Amami Airport・Approx. 50 minutes from Okinoerabu Airport・Approx. 40 minutes from

Location of Okinawa Prefecture

summary

Bomb onigiri rice balls come in different combinations of rice and ingredients depending on the store, so we recommend trying a few to compare them. With so many varieties, you'll want to try everything. Bomb onigiri rice balls last a long time, so you won't have any trouble buying a lot. They're perfect for home use or as a souvenir.

If you visit Okinawa, be sure to try the Bomb Rice Balls.

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