We learn the dark secret of Japan’s Woodstock rice balls, still want to eat them【Taste test】

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This curry onigiri might not be quite as cute as we thought.

When our stomach starts growling, our first stop is the nearest convenience store, and when we get there, the first thing we check is the selection of onigiri (rice balls). And so it was that we found ourselves looking at the offerings at our local branch of convenience store chain Lawson.

We could have grabbed a standard salmon or tuna onigiri, but instead we found ourselves drawn to Lawson’s newest creation: Woodstock’s Yellow Onigiri.

Part of a tie-up with the Peanuts franchise, the package has an adorable illustration featuring Snoopy and his feathered friend Woodstock. Unable to resist the cuteness, we grabbed a few and took them back home.

There’s no chance of any sort of false advertising controversy here, as the onigiri is as yellow as can be. The rice, seasoned with consommé, is an even more vibrant shade of canary yellow than our somewhat faded Woodstock plushie.

The filling here is keema curry, which explains why Woodstock is stirring a pot in the package illustration. As for how it tastes, it’s surprisingly delicious, even by the already high standards of Japanese convenience stores. There’s not a ton of kick in terms of spiciness, but that’s usually to be expected with Japanese curry, and instead you get a very satisfying rich, savory flavor.

Everything gets even more delicious when you warm the onigiri up, like we did by popping it in the microwave for a few seconds.

Really, the only complaint you could make is that aside from the color, it’s not all that Woodstock-y. Maybe Lawson could have sprinkled some black sesame seeds on it, to strengthen its connection with the character’s color design, but perhaps they thought Woodstock’s Yellow-and-Black Onigiri would be too long to fit nicely on the package.

But hey, at least we can enjoy the drawing while we munch, right? Ah, Woodstock, he looks so cute in his chef’s hat. He’s even got some of his bird friends hanging out with him.

▼ …wait a second…

▼ …doesn’t Woodstock have more friends than that?
Let’s take a look at a Peanuts strip.

Yeah, he does! Assuming one of those outdoorsbirds is Woodstock, he’s got a social circle of at least five other birds, so how come there’re only three other on the label?

Could it be that… no, no, it can’t. There’s no way that….

Sorry, Woodstock, we’re sure it’s just our crazy imagination, but we’ve got to check the ingredients.

▼ Oh. 鶏肉. Toriniku. Or, in English…

▼ Chicken meat

Granted, the ingredients explain that it’s just the possibility of trace amounts of chicken, and while Woodstock’s exact species is indeterminate, it’s pretty safe to guess he’s not a chicken himself. Still, he seems OK with us eating birds, and that ruthlessness might have been enough for us to reconsider eating his onigiri, except for the fact that they taste so good.

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