alternative names:
lunchbox, packed lunch

type:
packed meal

serving temperature:
hot or cold

main ingredients:
rice, vegetables, meat or fish

(a basic bento recipe)

bento is a single-portion home-packed meal common in japanese cuisine. a traditional one holds rice, fish or meat, and pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container. when made at home, they are commonly wrapped in a furoshiki cloth, which is used as both bag and table mat.

containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware. bentos are readily available in many places throughout japan including convenience stores, bento shops, railway stations and department stores. however, japanese homemakers often spend time and energy on a carefully prepared lunch box for their spouse, child, or themselves.

bentos can be arranged or designed to look like popular anime, manga, or video game characters. these are called 'kyaraben' ('character bento'). another rather popular style is 'oekakiben' which roughly translates to 'picture bento'. they are made to look like people, animals, flowers, and many others. contests are often held where bento arrangers compete for the most aesthetically pleasing bento arrangements, while still making it edible and be able to be packed for travels.

similiar forms of lunch boxes in asian countries include the philippines' baon, korea's dosirak, taiwan's biandang, and india's tiffin.

the first bentos can be traced back to the late kamakura period, which was around 1185-1333. rice was cooked and dried, then called hoshi-ii (literally dried meal). hoshi-ii could be eaten as is, or boiled with water to make cooked rice, and stored in a small bag.

the use of the aluminum bento box became popular in the taishou period (1912-1926) because of its ease of cleaning and silver-like appearance.

the practice of bringing bento to school however, declined after world war ii and was replaced by uniform food being provided for all students and teachers.

bentos regained popularity in the 1980s, with the microwave oven's help and the proliferation of convenience stores. the then common wood and metal boxes were replaced by affordabke, disposable polystyrene boxes. now, handmade bentos are a common sight, although not universal, in japanese schools.

sources:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/bento

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-_hbPLsZvvo