Brown rice balls (Onigiri) are an excellent food for backpacking. They are packed with complex carbohydrates to provide a steady source of essential energy for hiking. They are loaded with minerals to replace those being lost to perspiration. The nori and umeboshi plum alkalinize the body, and this improves fatigue and muscle soreness. These balls are easy to make and keep for up to three days. I made them for my friends this year, and they loved them! They are also great for travel on an airplane, car or bus.
Ingredients:
3 cups cooked brown rice*
2 T toasted sesame seeds
Nori sheets
Umeboshi plum
Directions:
- Gently mix brown rice with toasted sesame seeds.
- Lightly dampen hands in a bowl of water, and then take ½ cup cooked brown rice and sesame seed mixture and form into a ball or a triangle.
- Make a small dimple in the middle and insert ⅓ of an umeboshi plum.
- Mold the rice, so it covers the umeboshi.
- Cover the rice ball completely with a nori sheet (coarse side facing the rice), so no brown rice is showing. You can smooth out any creases and seal the nori with moist fingers.
- Continue making balls until you have used all the rice.
- Wrap each ball in parchment paper and store in a Ziploc bag.
* To make 3 cups cooked brown rice use 1 cup dry brown rice. I like using a half and half mixture of short grain and sweet brown rice.
