B for Bento

The bento craze is spreading in Brunei, and I've decided to hop on that wagon too! I like being creative, and anything to get the kids to eat more of their lunch. I'm not really expecting/planning to go all out and create "proper" bentos though, but more some jazzed up and appetizingly decorated lunch boxes!

Here's my first attempt, an elephant with it's baby amongst the grass and flowers, with a tree next to it and the sun shining down on them! :)



I also made a separate snack box with some biscuits and fruit - cut out moose-melon! (It was the smallest cookie cutter I had!)
I'm really curious to see what the kids think of their lunch tomorrow!




More info about bentos:
"A bento lunch is a compact, balanced, visually appealing meal packed in a box. Historically, it’s a Japanese box lunch, similar in concept to the Indian tiffin, the Korean dosirak, or the Filipino baon lunch. In Japanese, “bento” or “obento” refers to the packed meal, and “bento-bako” refers to the bento box itself." (From Wikipedia)

The Five Fives
Since bento comes to us from Japan, the following guidelines are the basis of all washoku (=Japanese cuisine), and are grouped into fives sets of five rules - the “Five Fives”.
The first four rules are important to create a balanced meal. Each bento should incorporate the five “elements” listed under their “rule” title. The fifth rule, well... most people oversee that one a bit.

1. Goshiki (=Five colors)
Incorporate at least five colors, it makes your lunch a feast for your eyes!

2. Goho (=Five methods)
Incorporate five different cooking methods. F.e simmer, steam, grill, fry, raw, bake, toast, saute, stew etc.

3. Gomi (=Five flavors)
Give your taste buds some variety! Try and fit in salty, sour, sweet, bitter and spicy.

4. Gokan (=Five senses)
You don't have to cover each one of the five senses with each food, but it's something to strive for!

5. Gokan no mon (=Five outlooks)
This is the one most people ignore or overlook. This guideline follows the Buddhist doctrine referring to the state of mind you should have while eating.
1. Ponder deep gratitude for the people who prepared the meal.
2. Perform deeds and have thoughts worthy of receiving such nourishment.
3. Partake of food with no ire (=anger).
4. Realize that eating this food is feeding the soul as well as the body.
5. Be seriously engaged on the road to enlightenment.

(Info taken from here)