Tired Of Making Goopy Sandwiches With Your Canned Tuna? Try Onigiri Instead

Tuna salad sandwiches have long been a staple of school and workplace lunches and a convenient source of lower-calorie protein. It's also an inexpensive go-to when a can of tuna, a jar of mayo, and a loaf of bread are the only things left in the pantry. Canned tuna first appeared in 1903, three decades before sliced bread, and since then there's been no going back.

But sometimes, that mess of tuna salad slathered onto white bread just doesn't cut it. There are delicious, easy ways to upgrade a tuna sandwich, like changing up the bread, adding fresh veggies, or mixing in fish sauce with the tuna. But in the end, it's still just a tuna fish sandwich. Instead, consider a Japanese go-to portable snack: onigiri. These stuffed rice balls date back to at least the eighth century A.D. and are widely available in convenience stores and take away spots throughout Japan. They're also popping up increasingly in the United States. Filled with fish, savory greens, or salted plum and wrapped in dried seaweed sheets (nori), it's an ideal way to give you that carb-wrapped mayo-tuna goodness in a whole new way.

Tuna mayo (it sounds like one word in Japan) has been a popular onigiri filling in Japan since 1983. So, going from tuna sandwich to filled rice ball makes sense. The process is pretty simple: The key is sushi rice, the collective name for a number of different types of short-grained rice that's particularly sticky, thanks to amylopectin, a specific starch molecule. It packs nicely for the consistency and shape you seek.

For the filling, grab canned tuna, a dollop of mayonnaise, and a tablespoon of soy sauce. A spatula will help for spreading the rice (around a half cup_ over a large piece of plastic wrap. Once you've shaped the grains into a disc about 4 inches across and a quarter-inch thick, you can make a dimple in the center and fill it with a teaspoon or two of tuna mayo. In order to seal the tuna mixture inside, you'll want to top it with enough rice to cover. Only then can you gather up the plastic wrap to help with shaping. To shape, press the rice into an oblong ball or a thick triangle with flattened sides using your hands.

When cutting the nori, look to split the sheets in half along their embossed lines. With your seaweed laid out, you can stand a triangle of filled rice on its base, and wrap the nori up either side, folding corners like a present. Lightly moistening a corner of the nori will help it adhere. Alternatively, you can cut thin strips of nori to wrap the ball/triangle, or omit the step altogether. Eat now, or wrap it in plastic and refrigerate (but beware that the nori will quickly soften once in contact with the rice).

As with tuna sandwiches, there are myriad ways to upgrade your onigiri. Seasoning the tuna or mayo adds a savory or spicy kick. It's common to season the rice before crafting balls or triangles. Add a little salt, furikake (which may have powdered seaweed and bonito flakes), gomasio (which does not), or shio kombu (seasoned kelp) and mix well. Consider pairing specific seasonings with specific fillings, both to create distinct flavor combos, and to signal from the outside what awaits inside (the same way filled chocolates often have specific shapes or patterned swirls).

If molding triangles by hand seems slow or too challenging, feel free to order onigiri molds (or find them at many Asian grocery stores), which are available in colorful plastic and elegant wood designs. You'll get a perfect shape every time, and wow your friends.

The beauty of onigiri is, just like sandwiches, you can get creative with the filling. Consider using diced cooked sweet potatoes and carrots, Japanese sweet rolled omelette (tamagoyaki), salted sour plum (umeboshi), or cooked mini shrimp and special sauce. Instead of a dollop of filling in a dimple, spread a thin layer across the rice. Don't be afraid to experiment. Try substituting flavored tuna packets (spicy Thai chili works well), or make it more "Americanized" by using pulled pork or ground beef as a filling. You can even turn it into yaki onigiri by searing the rice on a griddle after shaping.