Bento is a single-portion take-out or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento holds rice or noodles, fish or meat, with pickled and cooked vegetables, in a box. Containers range from mass-produced disposables to hand-crafted lacquerware. Bento are readily available in many places throughout Japan, including convenience stores, bento shops, railway stations, and department stores.

Bentos can be elaborately arranged in a style called "kyaraben" ("character bento"). Kyaraben are typically decorated to look like popular characters from Japanese animation (anime), comic books (manga), or video games.

Another popular bento style is "oekakiben" or "picture bento". This is decorated to look like people, animals, buildings and monuments, or items such as flowers and plants. Contests are often held where bento arrangers compete for the most aesthetically pleasing arrangements.

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 pack everything the following morning before their children go to school.

This book is for those parents who are not only adventureous in cooking but take nutritional value of the food they consume along with their school going child very seriously and at the same time feel proud when their child tells them that everyone including their teachers eagerly wait for their lunch box to open.

The recipes are basically Japanese but easily tweaked to suit european or western culture.

It is easy to cook the same recipe for entire week but giving different shapes every day will remove the boredom of eating same food.

Ok. enough of theory now go to your kitchen with this book and start the adventure in Japanese cooking.

In this book you will find bento box cookbook recipes like...

Bento and coconut

Mexican bento box

Rice ball bento box

Cheesy chicken rolls

Pasta bento box and many more......