Today, we’re diving into the delightful theme of Octopus Motifs in bento. It’s a character bento classic that holds endless possibilities for cuteness! Forget just a simple cut hot dog; with a little extra touch, you can transform your lunch into an unbelievably charming, easy, and fun masterpiece.
The Eternal Classic: Mastering the Beloved “Tako-san Wiener” (Octopus Sausage)
The Tako-san Wiener is the king of octopus bento. Your octopus character journey starts right here! While simply cutting and boiling them is cute enough, let’s upgrade our octopus to an extra-special adorable one with a few tricks.
🐙 Transformation 1: Give Them Personality with Expressive “Eyes”
The eyes are the key to giving your Tako-san Wiener its soul.
- The Basic Sesame Eye: This is the easiest! Use a toothpick to poke a small, deep hole in the cooked sausage, then insert a black sesame seed. The deeper hole ensures the seed stays put and gives your octopus a lovely, gazing look.
- The Wide-Eyed Look: For a bigger, rounder eye, combine round cut nori (seaweed) made with a small punch and a round piece of sliced cheese cut with a straw. Stick the nori slightly off-center on the cheese for a cute, bewildered expression!
- The Sleepy Eye: Cut the nori into a small ‘V’ shape and stick it on for eyes that look like they’re saying, “I’m so sleepy…”—a wonderfully cozy and endearing look.
🐙 Transformation 2: Cute ‘Heads’ for Endless Variation
Let’s decorate the uncut “head” part of the sausage to make it even more delightful.
- Rosy Cheeks Tako: Use a small straw to punch out two tiny red circles from the red casing of the sausage (or a piece of crab stick). Stick them below the eyes with a dab of mayonnaise for a blushing octopus!
- Festive Tako: Use thin slices of carrot or imitation crab meat (kanikama), punch them into star or heart shapes, and secure them to the top of the head with a short piece of fried spaghetti (it acts as a secure pin!). This instantly makes your Tako-san party-ready!
Star of the Show: The “Octopus Onigiri” for a Full-On Tako Feast!
If a small sausage isn’t enough, let your octopus be the main course! Introducing the Octopus Onigiri (rice ball)!
🍙 Sculpting the Octopus Form with Rice
- Color the Rice: Mix your cooked rice with red deco-furi (rice seasoning) or a tiny bit of ketchup to create a light pink or reddish “octopus” base.
- Shape It Up: Mold the majority of the rice into an oval shape for the “head,” then divide the rest into eight smaller, slightly elongated portions for the “legs.”
- Assemble and Wrap: Attach the legs to the head. Wrap the entire thing in a sheet of nori to help hold the shape and give it a clean, dark outline.
🍙 Adding “Real” Charm with Nori and Cheese
For a touch of realistic charm, cut thin, small circles of nori and stick them along the bottom of the rice legs to resemble suction cups. This tiny detail makes a huge difference, making your onigiri much more distinctly octopus-like and incredibly charming!
Finish it off with the wide-set, round eyes made from sliced cheese and nori, and you have a friendly, photogenic Octopus Onigiri ready to swim into your lunch box!
Perfect Side Dishes: Creating an “Underwater World” for Your Tako
When your octopus character is the star, the surrounding side dishes should complete the underwater theme for a cohesive look.
By coordinating the sides, your whole bento box becomes a fun, vibrant scene from the sea where your octopus buddy lives!
Essential Tools: The Three Bento Must-Haves
To make your octopus chara-ben making process smooth and fast, here are a few tools you’ll want on hand:
- Nori Punches (for faces): These instantly create clean, perfectly sized eyes, noses, and mouths. Round or oval punches are essential for octopus faces!
- Small Round Cutters: Perfect for punching out cheese or kanikama for cheeks and eye whites. A wide straw for bubble tea works great in a pinch!
- Small Craft Scissors (Food Use Only): Ideal for making the tiny, intricate cuts for the octopus legs or trimming nori sheets precisely.
With these tools, even a busy morning won’t stop you from creating an adorable octopus character bento!
What do you think? The world of octopus motif bento is simple yet so expansive—changing the expression or color gives you infinite possibilities.
I encourage you to use these ideas and bring your own lovely octopus friend to life in your next lunch box! I can already picture the huge smile on the face of the person who opens it.
Happy bento-making!
Do you have a favorite cute bento character you like to make? Share your ideas in the comments below!
