The finished product: Popin’ Cookin’ Bento Box
This is the second in our series of mini Japanese food set English instructions. This time, we’re doing it for the Popin’ Cookin’ Bento Box. Unlike our first post on the Kracie burger set, this one is more of gummy candies shaped into food rather than tasting like the actual thing. The base is pretty easy to work with, it looks like a mix of sugar with gelatine powder. Some taste like sour gummies, others a sweet (but not too overpowering) and one actually tasted like lemon drops.
More after the jump
Front of the Popin’ Cookin’ Bento Set
Japanese instructions at the back of the Bento Set box.
So, here’s the step by step English instructions for the Popin’ Cookin’ Bento Box:
1. Open the box and make sure you don’t rip the foil pack inside it. You will need this to create the bento box, the separators and the flag. The mat for the panda is also in the foil.
Don’t rip the foil pack. You’ll need this for your set up.
2. Cut out the pieces you need. Prepare everything you need. For this you will need scissors, tape and a toothpick. You also need to cut the measuring cup (*we refer to it as cup below) from the white container.
Contents of the Bento Set.
Make the bento box and cut out the other parts you need.
3. The small green packet is your brocolli. Add 1 cup of water to it and put it directly into the brocolli mold. Mix immediately and pat it down to shape it as it congeals fast. Leave it in the mold to set.
Making the brocolli
4. The small orange packet is for the tamago (sweet egg roll). Add this to the flat stripped mold with 1 cup of water. Mix and pat it evenly on the mold. Leave it in the mold to set.
Making the tamago
5. The small pink packet is for the Octopus hotdog. Add it to the mold directly with 1 cup of water, mix and pat down to shape. Leave it in the mold to set.
Making the octopus hotdog
6. The big blue packet is for the panda base. Use the mixing area for this (big triangle section). Add two cups of water. Make a small circle for the panda’s face. Use the blue mat you cut earlier from the foil pack to guide you on the size. You also need to make two smaller circles for the ears. The remaining white gummy should be shaped into a triangle, this is your onigiri (Japanese rice ball).
Making the rice base for the panda and the onigiri
7. Get the small grey packet and fill the panda face, the small triangle and the oblong portion of the white container. DO NOT add water. Press your onigiri against the triangle — this will be nori. Press the panda face against the eyes and mouth shape. Roll the ears inside the oblong container.
Shaping the panda
8. Get the small brown packet and put it in the mixing area. Add one cup of water. Mix it into two small balls. These are your meatballs.
Making the meatballs
9. Get the big orange packet and put it in the mixing area. Add two cups of water and mix. This will be your soba noodles. Put the mixture into your piping bag. Cut a very small hole (1cm) in the bag and pipe out the noodles.
The soba noodle mix
Pipe out the noodles
10. Put your bento box together. Use the separators and the flag (goes on the meatball).
Putting together the bento box
Jellybean is happy!
There you have it, the cutest little candy bento that you can eat. As with the reminder in our earlier post, use clean water and clean hands to make the bento box if you plan on eating it. This was again done by my four-year-old Jellybean with very little help from me. I did most of the cutting but she did the measuring and the mixing.
Enjoy!