Sushi Cat – Onigiri Chicken Rice Balls

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Okay, so it’s not really sushi. Onigiri (or omusubi) is actually a rice ball made from white rice instead of sushi rice. And inside? That’s chicken in mine, but they can be stuffed with lots of other ingredients, too.

The Little Foodie is where I first saw these and got my idea for making kitties instead. Hers are gorgeous, perfectly cooked, and perfectly shaped. Mine are…..well, they’re cats, and all the imperfections otherwise can be overlooked because they’re cute and the kids love ’em.

Maybe that’s why I make funky designs with things. It’s a distraction from the taste, hehe. Nah, that’d sound too logical when really I just want to play with my food.

I made these at a time not long after making my first sushi, so I was new the world of nori. When I discovered that seaweed sticks to rice if you wet it a little, I instantly saw cats in those balls. I’m sure it had nothing to do with playing Sushi Cat too much….

Of course, working with pieces that tiny was also frustrating, so I only made a few each of the kitties. The rest I left as misshapen piles of chicken onigiri (onigiris?).

Let’s just say that after 3 plates of 2-3 layers each of bite-size rice balls later, I didn’t care if chicken was showing or rice was falling off. I just wanted to be done rolling! Nobody cared so long as they had a couple cats anyway, hehe.