# Harita-san’s Hand-Pressed Onigiri

Japanese recipe from Harita-san, with Chef Jason McKinney, about 50 minutes, serves about 4.

Rice, salt, wet hands, firm squeeze. She foraged the mitsuba. Use whatever greens are near you.

- Total time: about 50 minutes (estimated)
- Hands-on: about 20 minutes
- Serves: about 4
- Level: Easy
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Note: Includes cooking and resting the rice

## Ingredients

- 2 cups short-grain rice
- to taste sea salt
- a handful mitsuba or herbs (parsley, shiso, cilantro)
- 3 nori sheets, cut in strips; optional
- a dab per onigiri umeboshi or salted fish flake, optional filling

## Method

1. Cook the rice. Let it rest 10 minutes covered. Don’t skip the rest.
2. Wet your hands. Salt your hands. Scoop a handful of hot rice.
3. Press a thumb-dent into the center. Tuck in whatever filling you want. Umeboshi, tuna mayo, or just a flake of salt.
4. Close. Shape into a triangle. Three firm squeezes — each side once.
   Chef's note: Not gentle. Not crushing. Firm. Harita-san corrected my squeeze three times.
5. Press a strip of nori on one side if you like. Eat warm or pack for tomorrow.

## Tools

- Small pot with lid, for rice
- Mixing bowl, for cooling and shaping rice
- Rice paddle, for folding rice

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Recipe page with photos and video: https://chefjasonmckinney.com/recipes/onigiri-harita
By Harita-san, with Chef Jason McKinney. Free to cook; please link the page when you share it.