Any plant-based students will know that searching for a good lunch option can often be an uphill battle. However, a new stall at the Uni Place food market is looking to change that.
Nigirun are serving up authentic Japanese onigiri, filled rice balls, with two meat options, two fish options, and two vegan options available daily. All of the products are made by Kaoru Anderson who also sells the onigiri at her stall. Originally from Tokyo, Kaoru wanted to bring a taste of home to Manchester, having found this traditional Japanese snack difficult to locate in the city.
Often eaten during picnic or packed in lunchboxes, one of the main selling points of onigiri is their versatility as a food which travels well and can be eaten as a snack or meal. Onigiri have been made and eaten in Japan for centuries and tend to be served in a triangular shape which is stable enough to hold together and easy to eat on the go.
Credit: Ruby Filleul @ The Mancunion
The Mancunion was able to try both of Nigirun’s vegan options, each of which we found to be great plant-based bites. Their classic onigiri, or yaki onigiri, was an unfilled rice ball with a deliciously delicate salty soy flavour. The rice held together excellently and each grain was cooked to be delightfully soft whilst retaining its shape. While this may not sound like the most exciting lunch option on offer, the flavour was incredible and difficult to get bored of — not one to underestimate.
The second flavour was the nasu and miso onigiri, which was comprised of plain white sticky rice with an aubergine and miso filling, wrapped in a strip of nori (seaweed). Miso is a fermented soybean paste often used in East Asian cuisine so anyone looking for fermented foods for gut health, miso is a delicious way to boost healthy bacteria. Whilst the miso flavour didn’t come through massively in the filling, with the aubergine tasting more caramelised than anything else, this was still a delicious option for a snack or lunch on the go.
The only change we would suggest is to consume these with a dipping sauce, whilst not strictly authentic this would pair very nicely and is something to keep in mind when buying them to go.
Credit: Ruby Filleul @ The Mancunion
Onigiri can be eaten hot or cold and with a microwave inside University Place just around the corner from the market, these would be easy to warm up for a filling lunch. However, the neat packaging makes them easily transportable as well so grabbing one for a mid study snack to take into the library or Ali G would also be a great idea for a pick me up between the books.
We would recommend two or three onigiri for a lunch, ideally followed by one of Nigirun’s matcha and white chocolate scones for a taste of something sweet. Matcha has become an increasingly popular flavour in both Manchester and the UK and these scones are a great option for anyone looking for a sweeter matcha fix.
At £3.50 or £4 per onigiri these are definitely an affordable lunch option and with Nigirun very conveniently located in the centre of the University Place market, we would definitely recommend!
Credit: Ruby Filleul @ The Mancunion
AloJapan.com