Rice ball

A rice ball is cooked rice shaped by hand or moulded into a compact ball, often with a savoury filling or seasoning. The name covers several dishes, from Japanese onigiri to fried Italian arancini.

Use freshly cooked, still-warm short-grain rice, which sticks together better than long-grain rice. Wet your hands lightly, add the filling in the middle, then press the rice firmly around it without crushing the grains.

Yes, but chilled rice can be dry and crumbly. Reheat it until steaming, sprinkle over a little water, and shape it while warm; cool the finished rice balls promptly if you are not eating them straight away.

Rice balls are best eaten soon after shaping. Refrigerate them in a covered container and eat within a day; chilling makes the rice firm, so let them lose their chill before eating, or reheat until steaming throughout.

Try flaked salmon, tuna mixed with mayonnaise, pickled plum, or cooked vegetables seasoned with soy sauce. Keep the filling fairly dry and use a small amount so the rice seals around it.

Onigiri are Japanese rice balls, often filled or wrapped in nori and usually eaten without a crisp coating. Arancini are Italian: cooked risotto is shaped around a filling, coated in breadcrumbs and fried until golden.

Not usually: many rice balls, including onigiri, are shaped from cooked rice and eaten as they are. Arancini are the familiar fried kind; chill the shaped balls briefly, coat in breadcrumbs and fry at about 170 °C until crisp and hot inside.

A 100 g portion provides 197 kcal. The amount in one ball depends on its size and on whether it is filled, coated or fried.