If you’re guilty of replacing meals with chocolate, have we got the lunch for you!
Japanese bento boxes are a constantly evolving cultural aspect, from the typical assortments you find in convenience stores to luxurious ekiben and more. Recently, our Japanese-language reporter Ayaka Idate found an interestingly expensive bento in Shibuya.
While most bento boxes cost only a few hundred yen, this one in particular costs 2,700 yen (US$24.23). If you’ve already read the title, you can probably guess why: it’s actually made entirely of gourmet chocolate-type morsels.
▼ It’s quite a lot smaller than many bento boxes, but trust us — it’s worth it!
Ayaka found this “Cacao Bento” at Reicacao, a gourmet chocolate store located in Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood. This bento is sold in limited quantities of just 50 per day, and though it’s much smaller than the typical bento box, every nook and cranny is stuffed with sweets.
▼ It even comes in a reusable tin, so it can continue to tempt you!
Some of the “side dishes” on the right side of the bento box include truffles, almonds, dried fruits, and more.
▼ There are even candied cranberry and yuzu morsels.
On the left side of the bento, where you’d typically find an umeboshi pickled plum on rice in typical Japanese bento, there’s puffed rice covered in white chocolate.
▼ In the center is a chocolate bonbon that’s colored to look like an umeboshi.
While the bento is technically described as a “chocolate assortment”, Ayaka decided to eat it for dinner like a real bento to see if it would fill her up.
▼ The nuts on this chocolate count as protein, right?
▼ And the fruits can contribute to your daily plant intake.
Every piece was unique and had a great mouthfeel and aroma, which isn’t surprising since everything was chosen by chocolate experts. Some were crunchy, some were smooth, and Ayaka found herself never getting bored.
▼ Even though some chocolates were the same color, she was surprised by their different flavors.
▼ Can you guess what this truffle is filled with?
What she enjoyed the most, though, was actually the white chocolate rice puffs! Even though they were hard to pick up with chopsticks, they were smooth and just sweet enough to mimic the mellowing role of rice in a traditional bento.
▼ And there are so, so many.
It was actually these rice puffs that gave her a satisfyingly full feeling just like a real bento. Chocolate or not, Ayaka thinks you could consider this a real “chocolate bento” instead of a “chocolate assortment”.
▼ Just have a spoon on hand when you eat this part since it really was difficult to pick up with chopsticks.
In conclusion, Ayaka recommends giving this a try, even if it’s a bit pricier than most bento boxes. For every chocolate bento purchased, Reicacao also donates the amount for one-third of a cacao sapling, so your heart will feel as full as your stomach by buying one.
▼ Keep the circle of cacao going one sugar coma at a time.
Next time you’re feeling a bit peckish, or you’ve had enough of the best value bento in Japan and want something fancier, consider shelling out some extra yen for a chocolate masterpiece.
Store information
Reicacao / レイカカオ
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Dogenzaka 1-12-1 Shibuya Tokyu Food Show ① 1F
東京都渋谷区道玄坂1-12-1 渋谷 東急フードショー① 1階
Open 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Photos: ©SoraNews24
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