onigiri

Also called nigirimeshi. A food consisting of boiled rice that is molded with the hand into round, triangular, or cylindrical shapes. A small amount of another ingredient is often placed in the center of the rice ball, most commonly an umeboshi (pickled plum), some tsukudani (delicacies simmered in soy sauce), small pieces of salted salmon, or bonito flakes flavored with soy sauce. Onigiri are often wrapped in nori (a kind of dried seaweed) and sometimes sprinkled with sesame seeds. (adapted from Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1993)