Many chefs believe that you “eat with your eyes first.”
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This means they take a lot of care in the presentation of their food, arranging it neatly on the plate and adding garnishes to make their meals look as delicious as they taste. Japanese mom Etoni Mama is not a professional chef, yet her creative kyaraben bento boxes are undeniably works of edible art.
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Kyaraben is a style of Japanese boxed lunch, also known as bento boxes. Kyaraben is a style of beautifully arranged food that has been decorated and styled to look like popular cartoon characters, animals, plants, and even famous people.
The style was originally created by mothers who hoped to tempt their children with colorful food that they might not otherwise try. This happens to be the same reason Etoni Mama got started with her craft!
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Etoni Mama has three daughters aged 7, 9, and 11, so she knows a thing or two about feeding picky eaters. She began arranging their bento boxes a few years ago for her family. When a friend of hers saw them she encouraged her to start sharing her designs on Instagram. Thanks to that suggestion, Etoni Mama now has over 100,000 followers.
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Etoni Mama says she has no formal training, but one look at her work and you can see how talented she is! She works with all sorts of ingredients, but her specialty is using eggs to create some of the most beloved characters in pop culture.
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Pandas are a favorite subject for kyaraben boxes, but Etoni Mama adds so much whimsy and detail to hers!
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The “Star Wars” gang never looked so tasty.
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How could you not smile if this meal was set down in front of you? Look at all that healthy and wholesome food!
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These adorable gnomes fit in everywhere, not just in the garden.
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With the success of her Instagram page, Etoni Mama has now created a cookbook to help other home chefs design their own kyaraben boxes.
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These aren’t your ordinary lunch boxes! To think, we thought just cutting the crusts off our kids’ PB&Js was good. Etoni Mama is putting us all to shame, in a great way!
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