Terrifically Tasty Triangles

Courtesy of DeviantArt

Imagine steaming rice filled with a salted mixture of beef with a tangy teriyaki sauce. The first bite hits your taste buds, filling your mouth with gooey goodness. Wanting another one, you go to the counter and order a second rice triangle.

Originating from Kyoto, Japan, rice triangles, otherwise known as Oori or Onigiri, are a popular staple in many peoples’ diets. Assembled with only three ingredients: seaweed, rice, and filling, this food serves as a cheap and easy solution for a quick lunchtime meal or snack. Interestingly enough, Oori is made in four different shapes, but the triangle is the most common form, having been believed to protect travelers from spirits through its simple shape of a mountain. In Ishikawa, fingerprints were found on carbonized rice grains that dated back to as late as 300 BCE, showing that rice triangles were a simple solution for meals in that time period. Similarly, because Oori is so easy to make, many schools in Japan offer it for lunch because it is extremely accessible for underprivileged and poor families, especially in rural areas. 

One of Japan’s rice triangles’ greatest qualities is the variety of fillings that are offered. Ranging from chicken all the way to Umeboshi, or Japanese plum, there is an option to accommodate everybody’s taste buds. Although there are a lot of carbs, this snack can be treated as a simple food to stick with without consuming lots of chemicals. Similarly, many vegetarians or people with health allergies can eat this food because of the ability to customize the ingredients.  

For many Japanese people, Oori has a cultural significance. Having a traditional food that has a meaning can be very comforting; it can evoke a sense of connection to certain customs and familial heritage. Food can bring more people into their culture through new flavors, tastes, and ingredients. It opens a doorway into other dishes which ultimately helps expose people to others’ heritage through another aspect.

For those near College Avenue, head to Oori in Oakland! They offer the most scrumptious rice triangles in the world. This is their second location that was opened because of the growing popularity of Onigiri in the West. Oori’s take on rice triangles is unique, as it represents a collision between Japanese and Korean cultures. Offering kalbi (Korean short ribs) and even kimchi as a filling, Oori in Oakland focuses on the immersion of the two cultures. 

Overall, rice triangles, or Oori, have been growing in popularity over the past years because of their ingredient list, variety of choices, and connection to culture. In the future, I think that this rice triangle business will grow and expand into other parts of the world very quickly. This new exposure of Japanese heritage to those who might not be accustomed to it will be very beneficial to those who want to explore different cultures through a branch like food.