As a parent, there are days where every moment feels like a battle. It’s you versus a screaming demon that will not rest until you let them put that nasty penny they found on the sidewalk in their mouth. Even simple tasks can become a challenge. Trying to get them to eat healthy? You better not even use that word or they will be gone faster than Black Friday shoppers sensing a sale. One Japanese mom is turning the tides of battle though.
Etoni Mama makes beautiful pieces of artwork out of food items. She is a master of Kyaraben (character bento) which is the art of styling food to look like cartoon people and animals. Although she works with many different food items, fried eggs are her specialty. She molds yellow yolks into various faces and bodies. Nori (edible seaweed) is often used to create the characters’ faces and other small details. Sneakily, vegetables are hidden into the pieces so that children get their vitamins. For instance, she makes Pikachu’s ears and tail with yellow pepper. Pooh’s shirt is made of red pepper while the grass he stands next to is asparagus.
It’s not just the character itself that’s important though. Etoni Mama makes sure that the entire dish looks beautiful. Some of her characters are set in a scene such as Winnie the Pooh. Other times, she simply makes sure that the entire plate is arranged in a beautiful and colorful way. Once she is done, these healthy meals are certain to delight even the most stubborn kid. Now these are some dishes worth snapping a photo of before eating! She even has a book, although sadly it is currently only available in Japanese. Check out some of her awesome pieces below! Make sure to head over to her Instagram to see even more of her work!
