BentoholicsAnonymous

There was once upon a time that I was afraid of the word "ochazuke."  I saw aisles of packets at the grocery store that bared the name OCHAZUKE! and I was very intimidated by it.  A few months ago, I saw 2 people in the "ochazuke" section of the grocery store and decided to pick up a pack to try it out...whatever it was.  I got a pack that had a cute little Hamtaro on it.  How bad could something be with a hamster on the package???

So, I found out, via Wikipedia, of course, that ochazuke is a Japanese rice dish where tea and dashi are poured over rice for a simple meal, similar to cereal and milk.  It is usually topped with savory toppings.  

Unable to decipher the Japanese instructions on my packet of ochazuke, I decided to use my spidey sense.  I put in about a cup of rice into a bowl, poured in equal parts of green tea and instant dashi.  MmmmMmm. Smelled nice.  Then I opened my packet of ochazuke and dumped it on top only to find this:
 



Yes, those are little hamsters staring at you.  Aren't they sooooo cute???

The packet contained nori, crispy little rice crackers, seasoning, and hamster heads.  It was so delicate and so delicious I wondered what I ever did without the dish ochazuke before!

So kiddos, don't forget to try something new, exciting, and maybe even completely foreign to you.  Might be something tasty!