I have been fascinated with Japanese culture and cuisine for many years. The Cherry Blossom Festival is probably one of the most amazing times to visit Japan and experience not just the beauty of nature but also the unique aspects of Japanese culture. If you have ever been to Japan during the Cherry Blossom Festival you must have noticed a slight obsession with the cherry blossoms. These pink beauties find their way into many dishes. They are used in desserts and sweets that are served to accompany the tea ceremony. They are also preserved in salt and sold throughout the year.
Consider these two recipes presented here as my homage to the short lived beauty of the sakura. They are my raw food experiment and I will probably have to improve them at some point. I used the salt-preserved cherry blossoms from last year's harvest. You can buy them in any Japanese grocery store or order online from a specialized grocer. They are actually very tasty, so give it a try.
What is onigiri?
Onigiri is a popular Japanese finger food that is perfect for a small hunger, especially when you travel. Onigiri are made from cooked white rice and are either triangular or cylindrical in shape. They are often wrapped in nori and filled with roasted salmon, pickled plums, preserved vegetables or ikura (salmon roe).
I made two versions, both using freshly made cauliflower rice. They turned out pretty well but unlike the real rice onigiri, these cannot be picked up with hands and eaten on the go without falling apart. You will have to use a fork or a spoon to eat them.
If you have ever worked with the raw cauliflower "rice" you know that it will not stick the same way like the grain you are trying to imitate in your raw dishes. The cauliflower "rice" is very versatile and can be seasoned with whatever spices you have in mind, but one thing it will not do, its "grains" will not stick together unless you are using some kind of binder. I decided to work without any binders and did not mind using utensils to devour my onigiri. What mattered to me was the looks and the taste.
Raw Cauliflower Rice Sakura Onigiri Two Ways
Ingredients:
for the white onigiri
- 1/2 medium large cauliflower
- 2 medjool dates soaked in water overnight
- 1 Tbsp raw white miso paste
- 1 Tbsp freshly pressed lemon juice
- 1 tsp rice vinegar, add more if necessary
- 1 tsp Japanese furikake seasoning (optional)
- 1 packet salt-preserved cherry blossoms
for the pink onigiri
- 1/2 medium large cauliflower
- 2 medjool dates soaked in water overnight
- 1 Tbsp raw white miso paste
- 1 Tbsp freshly pressed lemon juice
- 1 tsp rice vinegar, add more if necessary
- 1 tsp dulse flakes
- 1 packet salt-preserved cherry blossoms
- 1 Tbsp raw beet powder for color
- 1 nori sheet cut into strips ca. 3 inches long and 1 wide (use raw nori sheets if you can get some)
Method:
for the white onigiri
- Open the packet with cherry blossoms and using a strainer gently wash as much salt away as possible. Place the blossoms in a small bowl, add water and allow them to soak while you are preparing the cauliflower rice.
- Make the cauliflower rice using food processor. Do not over process! Squeeze excess liquid using nut milk bag or a fine mesh strainer.
- Transfer the rice back to a food processor. Add the very soft, pitted dates and miso paste. Pulse blend until well combined.
- In a large enough bowl mix the ready cauliflower rice with lemon juice and rice vinegar. Add furikake seasoning and mix well.
- Rinse and gently pat dry the cherry blossoms. Reserve 6-8 flowers and chop up the remaining ones. Add the chopped cherry blossoms to the rice and mix well.
- Scoop a handful of the seasoned cauliflower rice and roll into a oval. This is not the easiest task but it is doable. Place each oval on a platter and adorn it with a cherry blossom. Done! Now move on to make the pink ones.
for the pink onigiri
- Make the rice in the same way. If you decide to make these two versions, the easiest way is to make the rice out of the whole cauliflower. Once the rice is made, simply divide it into two halves and work successively with each half. Each half of the cauliflower should give you about 2 1/2 cups of rice grains to work with.
- Process the rice with dates and miso paste.
- Spice you cauliflower with lemon juice and rice vinegar. Mix well. Add the beet powder, dulse flakes and chopped cherry blossoms, and mix again.
- With clean hands, form triangles out of the pink rice. Wrap the bottom of the triangle with a strip of nori, squeeze gently till it sticks and place the onigiri on a platter.
- Once all the onigiri are shaped, serve them immediately and enjoy in good company!
In radiant health, passionately raw - Dominique
Dominique Allmon©2024