Team 7 Onigiri
Simple salmon rice balls, the practical, portable lunch tied to Team 7's early training days in Naruto.
- prep
- 20 min
- cook
- 10 min
- total
- 30 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- easy
Onigiri show up again and again through the early Team 7 storyline in Naruto, the practical, portable food of choice during training exercises and missions, a small, grounded detail of the characters' everyday lives between the larger battles.
Salmon is one of the most classic onigiri fillings for exactly this reason: it travels well, needs no utensils, and is genuinely satisfying eaten cold on the move, which is exactly how it's used in the series.
Part of our 60 famous foods from movies and TV list.
method
If using fresh salmon, pan-fry or grill it until just cooked through, then flake it into small pieces, removing any bones and skin.
Season the flaked salmon lightly with a pinch of salt.
Wet your hands, and rub a little salt over your palms.
Take a handful of warm rice, press a small indent into the center, and tuck in a spoonful of the flaked salmon.
Shape the rice into a triangle, pressing firmly enough to hold together but gently enough to keep it fluffy.
Wrap a strip of nori around the base.
Repeat with the remaining rice and filling, and sprinkle with sesame seeds if using.
chef's tips
- Salmon is one of the most classic and widely recognized onigiri fillings, practical for packing and eating on the move, which fits the training-camp setting these are tied to.
- Shape the rice with a light, confident touch; squeezing too hard makes a dense ball instead of one that stays fluffy inside.
- In Naruto, onigiri appear repeatedly through the early Team 7 storyline as the practical, portable food of choice during training exercises and missions, a small recurring detail of the characters' everyday lives between the larger battles.
- These travel well wrapped individually in plastic wrap, making them a genuinely practical packed lunch, not just a nostalgic one.