This single-serve, Japanese meal gives new meaning to playing with your food, using rice as its malleable medium.
The first obento, or "lunch box" in English, was arguably packed in the 17th century for soldiers during wartime. Nowadays, bento boxes are commonly eaten by schoolchildren and travelers.
Decoben is the practice of decorating bentos and requires time and creativity -- also known as kodwari or dedication -- to result in usually elaborate and aesthetically-pleasing edible art. The trend has made its way across the ocean and onto the Internet, where practicers promote their yummy works on social media.
Mike Kravanis is one such example and practicer of kyaraben, which is the style of depicting cute cartoon characters. He fell in love with bento art after a trip to Japan and Hong Kong, and uses it as a creative escape to his more analytical job. He displays his work on his popular Instagram OMGiri and his Tumblr.
Check out his work below.
