Bento

In Japan, it was not originally called “bento.” The practice of carrying food and eating it outside the home can be found in historical texts such as the Kojiki (completed in the 8th century) and the Nihon Shoki (also completed in the 8th century).). The word itself originates from the Chinese Song dynasty slang term (, ), meaning "convenient" or "convenience" (this sense is still used in Wu dialects such as Shanghainese). When the word was imported to Japan, it was written with the ateji and . But this word, in Japan, is used in a different meaning from the original Chinese letters. The word “bento,” which came to mean portable food in Japan, was later exported to other countries in the Chinese-character–using regions of Asia, where it also came to be used with the meaning of portable meals. Taiwan, in particular, was under Japanese rule for about fifty years, which allowed Japanese bento culture to be introduced and take root. In Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China, bento is written as (). In other Sinophone communities, both biandang and bento are often interchangeably used. ==History==

The increased popularity of bento can be traced back to the 12th century during the Kamakura period, when meals of cooked and dried rice called hoshi-ii ( or , literally "dried meal") were developed to be carried to work. Viewers of Noh and kabuki performances ate specially prepared bento between maku (acts). Numerous cookbooks were published detailing how to cook, how to pack, and what to prepare for occasions like hanami and Hinamatsuri. In the Meiji era (1868–1912), the first ekibentō or ekiben ( or , "[train] station bento") was sold. There are several records that claim where ekiben was first sold, but it is believed that it was sold on 16 July 1885 at Utsunomiya Station in the northern Kantō region of Japan, and contained two onigiri and a serving of takuan (pickled radish) wrapped in bamboo leaves. As early schools did not provide lunch, students and teachers carried bento, as did many employees. In the Taishō era (1912–1926), the aluminium bento box became a luxury item because of its ease of cleaning and its silver-like appearance. Also, a move to abolish the practice of bento in school became a social issue. Disparities in wealth spread during this period after an export boom during World War I and subsequent crop failures in the Tōhoku region. A student's bento too often reflected their wealth, and many wondered if this had an unfavorable influence on children both physically, from lack of adequate diet, and psychologically, from a clumsily made bento or the richness of food. After World War II, the practice of bringing bento to school gradually declined and was replaced by uniform meals provided for all students and teachers. Bento regained popularity in the 1980s with the help of the microwave oven and the proliferation of convenience stores. In addition, the expensive wood and metal boxes have been replaced at most bento shops with inexpensive, disposable polystyrene boxes. However, even handmade bento has made a comeback, and they are once again a common, although not universal, sight at Japanese schools. Bento are still used by workers as a packed lunch, and by families on day trips, school picnics, and sports days. Homemade bento are wrapped in a furoshiki cloth, which acts as both a carrying bag and a table mat. ==Culture==

In Japan, it is common for mothers to make bento for their children to take to school. Because making bento can take a while, some mothers will prepare the ingredients the night before, and then assemble and pack everything the following morning before their children go to school. It is often a social expectation of mothers to provide bento for their children, to create both a nutritionally balanced and aesthetically pleasing meal. This activity is expected of the mother and emphasized by society at large, ==Types==

By ingredients • Hinomaru bentō (), named and patterned after the flag of Japan (Hinomaru), is the name for a bento consisting of plain white rice with an umeboshi in the centre. Pure Hinomaru bento only consists of rice and an umeboshi to flavor the rice, without any other side dishes. The metal bento boxes once popular in Japan were often corroded by the acid from the umeboshi, eventually making a hole in the middle of the lid. • Formally known as Nori bentō() and often abbreviated as Noriben (), is a bento with nori dipped in soy sauce covering cooked rice and usually with fried fish, chikuwa and so on. The Nori bento ranks first in the annual sales ranking by bento category at Hotto Motto, one of Japan’s top bento chains. • Karaage bentō is a bento mostly with chicken karaage as the main dish. The Karaage bento ranks second in the annual sales ranking by bento category at Hotto Motto • Wappameshi () is a meal served in a special round wooden bento-styled container. • Shikaeshiben (仕返し弁) is "revenge" bento made by wives to get back at their husbands. Insults are written in the food, or it is made inedible. By origin • Ekiben () is bento sold at railway stations or onboard trains. There are many kinds of ekiben; most are inexpensive and filling. • Hokaben () is any kind of bento bought at take-out bento shops. Freshly cooked hot (hokahoka) rice is usually served with freshly prepared side dishes. The name was popularized after a pioneering take-out bento franchise in the field, Hokka Hokka Tei. • Shidashi bentō () is made in a restaurant and delivered during lunch. This bento is often eaten at a gathering, such as a funeral or a party. It is usually packed with traditional Japanese foods like tempura, rice and pickled vegetables. A shidashi bento packed with European-style food is also available. • Soraben () is bento sold at airports. ;Japanese Bento Types Gallery File:Kyaraben panda.jpg|Oekakiben containing rice balls decorated with nori to resemble pandas File:Home made Bento.jpg|Two typical homemade bento (one open, one wrapped) with furoshiki cloths File:Bento at Hanabishi, Koyasan.jpg|Bento served at a restaurant in Japan File:Tōge no Kamameshi 02.jpg|Tōge no kamameshi bento File:Orizume bentō SETSUGEKKA served by Ningyocho Imahan Co,. Ltd. 01.jpg|Orizume bentō, closed File:Orizume bentō SETSUGEKKA served by Ningyocho Imahan Co,. Ltd. 02.jpg|Orizume bentō, open File:Okowa Bento by Yonehachi, Takashimaya Singapore.jpg|Okowa bento-styled meal (steamed glutinous rice with teriyaki chicken and cabbage) served in a restaurant File:Jūbako.jpg|A set of stacking boxes for bento called jūbako File:菊唐草葵紋蒔絵提重-Portable Picnic Set (sagejū) with Chrysanthemums, Foliage Scroll, and Tokugawa Family Crest MET DP154362.jpg|Sagejū, a historical picnic container set of jūbako File:Makunouchi bento.jpg|Makunouchi bento File:Hotto_Motto.jpg|Hotto Motto, a take-out bento chain == Scholarship ==

Many scholars have written about the bento since the late 20th century. The foundation of their approach is based on the idea that food can carry many different meanings. In the 1970s, Chie Nakane used ekiben as a metaphor for group organization in Japan. By comparing this variant of bento to groups in Japan, she considered how different organizations in Japanese society often include identical components so as not to depend on any other groups for their success. Roland Barthes, on the other hand, used a symbolic approach to describe the lack of a centrepiece in Japanese food. He described the distinct contents of a bento box as a multitude of fragments or ornaments that are combined to beautify each other. Joseph Jay Tobin in 1992 discussed how the meticulous assembly of individual bento boxes has been aided by the reinterpretation of Western goods, practices, and ideas through a process he classified as domestication. ==In other countries==

Taiwan The bento made its way to Taiwan in the first half of the 20th century during the Japanese colonial period and remains popular to the present day. The Japanese name was borrowed into Taiwanese (piān-tong) and Hakka (phien-tông). A modern Taiwanese bento always includes protein, such as a crispy fried chicken leg or a piece of grilled mackerel and marinated pork chop, as well as side dishes. China The Chinese word for boxed meals is héfàn (盒饭), though biàndāng as a re-borrowing from Japanese may also be used. There are numerous regional styles, ranging from Northeastern Chinese boxed meals to the Hong Kong "two dishes with rice" boxed meal. Packed meals would traditionally be carried in boxes known as shíhé (食盒, "food box"). Shíhé ranged from basic styles to elaborate, multi-tiered designs. Singapore In Singapore, such packed lunch boxes are often acculturated and localised with cuisines slightly different to Japan. These may include roasted pork (similar to char siu) and soy eggs, as well as fried rice. It has been a common method of meal preparation within Singaporean cuisine as early as the start of the 20th century, intensifying during the Japanese occupation and cultural influences in subsequent decades with Japanese-style bento also being common in the country today. In 2021, the Singapore Food Tech Event showcased how bento of the future might look like for a sustainable food system. India and Pakistan People in India and Pakistan use a stainless-steel, multi-tiered lunchbox, a dabba, to carry home-cooked meals like roti, sabzi (vegetable cooked in gravy), rice, and dal to school or work, famously delivered by Mumbai and Karachi's dabbawalas using a unique system of local trains and cycles. == Trivia ==

• Bento has its own Unicode emoji: 🍱 (U+1F371) • “Noriben(のり弁)” is used metaphorically to refer to government documents that have been blacked out and censored. ==See also==