Shizuoka Ekiben/Railway Station Bento: Tokusei Maku No Uchi

Makunouchi (幕の内) is a popular type of Japanese bento which consists of fish, meat, pickles, eggs and vegetables along with rice and an umeboshi.
The word makuno-uchi bentō (“between-act bento”), dates back to the Edo Period (1603 to 1867), when they were served during the intermissions (幕間) of Noh and Kabuki theater performances.

From the Meiji Period onward, Makunouchi has become a common convention for bentos sold at train stations. Though the selection and number of items in a Makunouchi bento vary from store to store, it often contains more items and costs more than other offerings.

Tokaiken at Shizuoka JR railway station sells two types one, norml Maku no Uchi Bento/幕の内弁当 and Tokusei Maki no Uchi Bento/特製幕の内弁当 or Special Maku no Uchi Bento/Ekiben.

The box as usual comes its own disposable chopsticks.

Shizuoka Prefecture is the largest producer of green tea in Japan!

Clear indications of the contents as usual!

The rice is covered with a special piece of paper for extra protection.

What do we have here?

Steamed rice sprinkled with black sesame seeds and small umeboshi/salt-pickled Japanese plum. Great for digestion!

From left to right, bottom up:
-Lower compartment
Fried beef and konyaku vermicelli
Preserved apricot
Tamagoyaki/ Japanese omelette
Menchikatsu or Japanese-style pork fillet croquette
Deep-fried prawn in batter and breadcrumbs
White and pink kamaboko/fish paste cake
Grilled mackerel
-Upper left compartment
Wasabizuke/wasabi leaves and stems pickled in Sakakasu/Japanese sake white lees
Small bottle of soy sauce
Pickled daikon
-Upper right compartment
Fried chicken ball on a bed of fried bamboo shoots
Nimono/simmered food: carrot, lotus root and green string beans

Once again, healthy and fulfilling!

To be continued…

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2 thoughts on “Shizuoka Ekiben/Railway Station Bento: Tokusei Maku No Uchi”

  1. My favourite moment of your bento posts is “what do we have here”. This is where I start taking notes for my future cooking or tasting. Thank you for the bit of history!

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