I think they are super easy to make.

My tip is to go to a japanese grocery store and buy an onigiri mold for $3. All you do is stuff the rice (and fillings) into the mold and press. Keep the mold in a bowl of water between making balls (like they keep ice cream scoops in water)

You can also buy specific Japanese rice varieties that are better textured when cold. You can also figure out how to store them without the nori touching the rice

> Are they hard to make at home? I haven't found great/reliable spots to get these in SF. (Where are the great SF spots for these??)

A number of Japanese students I knew just used leftover rice to make onigiri for lunch the next day.

In SF, Super Mira on Sutter & Buchanan has an assortment. And of course Nijiya. I don't think Onigilly is anything special.

There are some good spots in Japantown I like Kissako tea in the japan town mall...

> Are they hard to make at home?

Not at all. You need the right type of rice (and a rice cooker helps). There are many options for the filling, some of which don't even require a trip to the Asian grocery store.

A rice cooker is one of those inexpensive but life-changing items.

If you have an H Mart near by the sell them in the hot food area.

They are basically sandwich equivalents. You need the correct rice but they are easy to make. Parents make them daily for their kid's lunches because they are so easy to make.

But also like sandwiches an excellent one is difficult to make.

There’s an Onigilly in FiDi but my favorite is the Japanese market in Nob Hill on Polk.

> Are they hard to make at home?

A bit. I've tried it but didn't have a ton of success. Main thing I found is use plastic wrap when trying to shape the rice, or else it tends to stick to your hands more than it sticks to itself.

You have to keep your hands at least moist to keep the rice from sticking. I make a small bowl of warm salty water handy when making onigiri to season while I shape.

I was running into the same issue. I recently bought some cheap molds off of amazon and it makes shaping them a breeze.

Fill bottom half with rice > Add Filling > Top off with rice > Press and done!

Another option that I find works well when I'm preparing a large batch is to use nylon gloves. They don't adhere to rice nearly as much as latex gloves.

Did you use a bowl of lightly salted water to wet your hands while handling the rice balls? It's a trick that works for dough and masa too without the salt, but the added salt helps season the onigiri while you handle it.

Try the Japanese markets first. Nijiya, Mitsuwa, Marukai

Pro tip:

Get a real rice cooker (Panasonic) and real rice (Nishiki) and use the right rice-water ratio of 1:1.25

Be sure to rinse the rice to wash off any arsenic dust. (Same is true for other rices and grains)

It’s 1:1 +20g or whatever for typical evaporation in your cooker. If you make more rice you shouldn’t scale the 20g portion.

i used to never wash my rice bc i was like, i dont see the point. it makes it significantly less mushy, will never not wash again

Wash also favor with seaweed during cooking