About this season
Bento, or lunchbox, is a fun slice of Japanese food culture that more people around the world are sharing. Healthy and delicious foods are beautifully and creatively presented. This NHK series features demonstrations and advice by Japanese bento experts, as well as shares some of the bento pictures and videos sent in by viewers worldwide.
Episodes (20)
1. Italian-style Chirashi Sushi Bento & Sesame Nuggets Bento
Aired 20 April 2020 • 15 min
Marc goes Italian, making sushi with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, prosciutto and more. From Maki, crispy sesame chicken nuggets. On Bento Topics, an array of German favorites, including pretzels!
2. Tori-suki Okowa Bento & Meat-wrapped Onion Rings
Aired 27 April 2020 • 15 min
Marc's bento features mixed rice with 3S sauce flavored chicken. From Maki, pork-wrapped onion rings, finger-licking-good! Bento Topics looks at how to use barley miso, a Japanese regional specialty.
3. Rainbow Kakiage Bento & Sweet-and-Sour Chicken Buns Bento
Aired 18 May 2020 • 15 min
Marc creates Japanese-style fritters with rainbow veggies. Maki uses sweet-and-sour chicken to make some funky Chinese steamed buns. We also meet a Dutch family who has embraced slow life, slow food!
4. Orange Chicken Bento & "Tuna-burg" Bento
Aired 25 May 2020 • 15 min
Marc creates some sweet and tangy orange marmalade chicken. Maki turns pantry staples into a savory "tuna-burg." Also, a look at what bento makers in France and the U.S. are doing while staying home.
5. Karokke Bento & Ebi-Mayo Bento
Aired 22 June 2020 • 15 min
Enjoy Marc's Karokke, or original kabocha croquettes and Maki's Ebi-mayo, or shrimp with mayonnaise sauce! We'll also meet some moms in Singapore who are enjoying bento making with their kids at home.
6. Mabo Nasu Bento & Sauce Katsu-don Bento
Aired 29 June 2020 • 15 min
Marc uses a Chinese sauce to make a spicy eggplant dish. Maki brings you a rich sauce Katsu-don bento! We also meet some bento makers on the US West Coast whose creations reflect their cultural roots.
7. Salmon Menchi-Katsu Bento & Chicken-Nasu with 4S Sauce Bento
Aired 3 August 2020 • 15 min
From Marc, Salmon Menchi-katsu: deep-fried breaded salmon cakes! Maki cooks up a delicious Chicken-nasu bento with her 3S sauce plus one. Also, a look at Taiwan's "san-bei" or "three-cup" cuisine.
8. Sukiyaki Soboro Bento & Scotch Egg Bento
Aired 10 August 2020 • 15 min
From Marc, a sukiyaki-flavored ground meat and spinach Soboro bento. Maki makes a cute Scotch egg bento using quail eggs! Bento Topics look at the popularity of bentos using organic herbs in Thailand.
9. Spaghetti Napolitan Bento & Curry Pilaf Bento
Aired 21 September 2020 • 15 min
Marc's bento features pork chops with Japan's original ketchup flavored spaghetti Napolitan. Maki makes a one-dish curry pilaf. And from Tokyo Bay, a traditional bento of sweet and savory Anago eel!
10. Braised Chicken Wing Bento & Stuffed Mushroom Bento
Aired 28 September 2020 • 15 min
Marc's bento features chicken wings braised in a sweet and savory sauce. Maki brings you a bento of meat-stuffed mushrooms. And from Lyon, France, a one-of-a-kind bento full of local specialties.
11. Chicken Tender Rolls Bento & Norimaki Meat Roll Bento
Aired 19 October 2020 • 15 min
Marc makes chicken tender rolls with 2 Japanese stuffing, while Maki wraps her meat rolls with nori! Bento Topics introduces a temple famous for its Zen Buddhist cuisine, including a vegan burger.
12. Dry Nikujaga Bento & Colorful Shumai Bento
Aired 26 October 2020 • 15 min
From Marc, a dry version of everyone's favorite Nikujaga. Maki uses corn kernels and edamame to wrap shumai. And from London, a bento maker whose popularity is symbolic of the rise in vegan cuisine.
13. Butter-Soy Sauce Shrimp Bento & Ebi Katsu Bento
Aired 16 November 2020 • 15 min
Marc sautés shrimp with butter-soy sauce while Maki cooks up some delicious shrimp cakes. Bento Topics takes you to Shizuoka Prefecture for a taste of 2 local specialties, wasabi and wasabi-fed Shamo chicken!
14. Steak Gyudon Bento & Kanitama(crab and egg)-don Bento
Aired 23 November 2020 • 15 min
Mark's bento features sweet and savory steak on rice. Maki uses crabsticks to make a Chinese omelet. Bento Topics takes you to New York City, where teriyaki and bento have become all the rage.
15. Banbanji Bento & Miso Tsukune Bento
Aired 21 December 2020 • 15 min
2 chicken bentos! From Maki, Miso Tsukune, and from Marc, Banbanji with sesame dressing. Bento Topics features Kyoto's tasty heritage vegetables and pickles that have inspired a mock-sushi bento.
16. Teriyaki Hamburg Bento & Chirashi-zushi Bento
Aired 28 December 2020 • 15 min
From Marc, a teriyaki hamburg bento, and from Maki, Chirashi-zushi. Bento Topics features 2 Balinese favorites -- spicy pork satay, and a dish called babi guling that features a spit-roasted pig stuffed with a mixture of spices.
17. Salmon Teriyaki Bento & Apricot Butter Chicken Bento
Aired 18 January 2021 • 15 min
Marc brings you an all-time favorite -- salmon teriyaki. Maki cooks up a delicious apricot butter chicken bento. And on Bento Topics, Hiroshima Prefecture's famous oysters packed in an auspicious bento box.
18. Buta-don Bento & Nasu Meat Roll Bento
Aired 25 January 2021 • 15 min
From Marc, a bento of braised pork belly on rice, and from Maki, eggplant meat rolls. On Bento Topics, Hong Kong's fragrant lap cheong sausages provide a perfect accent to rice and taro cakes.
19. Crispy Tofu Bento & Sweet and Sour Meatball Bento
Aired 1 March 2021 • 15 min
From Marc, crispy fried tofu in a sweet ginger glaze, and from Maki, sweet and sour meatballs. And from Tottori Prefecture, Japan, famous for its sand dunes, a bento featuring another Tottori specialty, crabs.
20. Fruit Sando Bento & Hanami Bento
Aired 8 March 2021 • 15 min
From Marc, a bento of braised pork belly on rice, and from Maki, eggplant meat rolls. On Bento Topics, Hong Kong's fragrant lap cheong sausages provide a perfect accent to rice and taro cakes.