Japanese bento boxes have become popular world over. There are many choices of colourful bento boxes of all sizes with small compartments for different foods. However, the wooden bento boxes, or ‘magewappa’ (bent-wood) as they are called in Japanese, are most popular with true bento connoisseurs! They are some of the finest lunch boxes in Japan.
The process of making a magewappa bento box is not a simple one. They are usually made of cedar and involves placing shavings into boiling water, bending them while wet and tying them with bark from sakura trees. Real magewappa bento boxes are uncoated so you can enjoy the great scent of cedar wood. The natural antiseptic property of cedar also helps keep food in the bento box fresh.
They are not necessarily the most practical as they do not go in the microwave or the dishwasher, however perfect for those who enjoy the simple beauty of a wooden bento box. Once you’ve tried eating from a magewappa box, you may have a hard time going back to plastic!
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