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Published: April 1st 2024
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One of the absolute best things to do on the train, usually a longer distance on the Shinkansen, is to buy some food at the departing station. Not only is the food interesting and delicious, but it is also reasonably priced and quite varied. Here is a story about ekiben. From Culinary Backstreets:
Any journey on the
Shinkansen – Japan’s bullet train – is the perfect opportunity to enjoy an
ekiben, the iconic
bento filled with an assortment of delicacies tucked into a container and eaten in bite-size pieces.
The term comes from the Japanese words for station (
eki) combined with
ben for bento (or “lunchbox”). These little jewel boxes are sold at concessions in train stations across the country and occasionally via pushcarts on trains. Different regions of Japan offer up varieties of local ingredients or specialties, making the ekiben a cornucopia of Japanese cuisine.
Before airplanes became inexpensive and frequent in Japan, rail travel was the only mass transportation for long distances. It still is for most people in places without airports. Train trips can be lengthy, and passengers need meals for the voyage, so the tradition of purchasing
an ekiben at the station has become part of the journey. These meals are not the typical bland fare of modern air travel. The makers take pride in the diversity and quality of the ingredients, and the competition between makers keeps the choices diverse and exciting. There are even ekiben malls and stores offering their goods to the non-traveler.
On a recent round trip from Tokyo to Kyoto, where there is no airport, we began with an early morning sprint through Tokyo station to procure the first of the various ekiben we would consume on our journey. The space just past the ticket wicket contained a wide assortment of culinary temptations, from sushi to beef. Up on the departure platforms there were more stalls. The majority of sellers display plastic models of the bento boxes showing the exact contents to potential clients. Others have photos. The boxes were originally made of wood, but recently plastic and Styrofoam (sometimes with a fake wood grain) have become ubiquitous. Costs range from a bit above US$5 up to around $18 for prime ingredients. One need only choose, and then it’s “point and pay.”
We decided to go old school with a classy Makunouchi bento.
Makuno-uchi means “between the acts,” and this type of bento dates back to the Edo period (early 1600s to mid-1800s), when people brought bento to eat between acts at Kabuki (Japanese opera) performances. A proper Makunouchi bento must have a combination of fish, meat, eggs and vegetables. Ours came loaded with a chunk of
karage (fried chicken), broiled salmon, a wedge of shimmery egg custard, preserved clams, a ball of diced fish, sliced
kamaboko (fish cake), yam, fried tofu, sparkling assorted vegetables, a variety of Japanese pickles and two kinds of rice wrapped in a box with a Kabuki character on the front and a proud explanation of the history of Makunouchi bento in Japanese.
We also snagged a
Fukagawa Meishi bento packed with clams simmered in miso, pieces of
anago (freshwater eel) and
ayu (sweetfish) poached in a sweet sauce, all swimming over a bed of rice with an assortment of pickles tucked off to the side. A traditional Fukagawa bento contains clams, which in Edo times were plentiful in the Sumidagawa River that flowed through the Asakusa Fukagawa area of Tokyo. The river is too polluted for fish to be edible now, but the tradition has stayed alive.
Some passengers dive right into their bento after settling into their Shinkansen seats, while others spend time anticipating the long trip and the delicious distraction of lovely food. We decided to wait for the train to snake through the Yurakucho area of Tokyo toward Kyoto and Osaka. When the scenery turned green, we pulled out our treasures, unwrapped them, extracted the chopsticks nestled inside and began our feast. A quick trip to the refreshment car for hot tea completed the meal.
Drinks can be purchased on the train. Eat seat has a fold down table for comfortable dining. The chance to dine on an ekiben is as much fun as the train ride!
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