Ever wondered to yourself why anime food looks so good? Or better yet why Studio Ghibli food looks so good? While Studio Ghibli is a name synonymous with beautiful storytelling and enchanting visuals, one of the most recognizable elements of these films is easily the food.
Food plays a crucial role in many of these films, often symbolizing comfort, tradition, and connection. In Studio Ghibli food scenes, meals serve as a backdrop for character development and key emotional moments. Not to mention, fans have made their own versions of Studio Ghibli food recipes that leave us curious and hungry for more.
Here are some examples of iconic dishes in Studio Ghibli movies. They look delicious and are heartwarming too!
Studio Ghibli Food Recipes
Chihiro’s Onigiri from Spirited Away
Onigiri, also known as Rice Balls, is a Japanese snack. It is made from white rice, formed into triangular or cylindrical shapes, and often wrapped in nori (seaweed). Traditionally filled with pickled ume (umeboshi – Japanese Plums), salted salmon, or any other salty or sour ingredient that works as a natural preservative.
Strewn incessantly throughout the anime world, Onigiri lingers on the tongues of many popular characters who have tried and tasted its delectability. While, in the real world, its cute shape and tasty innards make it a popular snack amongst anime fans and connoisseurs of Japanese food culture alike, making it a staple of Japanese restaurants worldwide.
One of the best Studio Ghibli food scenes that feature Onigiri comes from the classic Spirited Away (2001). When Chihiro becomes overwhelmed with tears and despair at the thought of never freeing herself and her parents, Haku offers her an Onigiri to give her strength and show his unwavering support.
There are several instances of tasty-looking foods in Spirited Away, but this scene with Haku is both touching and delicious to watch.
Satsuki’s Bento from My Neighbor Totoro
Bento boxes are an integral part of Japanese culture, embodying both culinary artistry and social tradition. These beautifully arranged meal containers not only reflect the aesthetic values of Japan but also serve practical purposes in daily life. Originating from the Heian period, bento boxes have evolved from simple rice portions to intricate, colorful meals that showcase a variety of ingredients and flavors.
Bento boxes are designed to provide a balanced meal. They typically include rice, protein, vegetables, and sometimes fruit. A well-prepared bento often features vibrant colors and various textures, aiming to delight the eyes as much as the palate.
In My Neighbor Totoro (1988), the bento that Satsuki and Mei eat is a great example of a traditional family meal. The beautifully arranged rice, pickled veggies, and tamagoyaki (a Japanese rolled omelet) in their bento symbolise their love and care. The bright colors and well-balanced ingredients highlight the importance of serving healthy, visually appealing food. This practice is highly valued in Japanese daily life.
The Famous Ponyo Ramen Bowl
Hayao Miyazaki directed Ponyo (2008), his eighth film. It remains one of his most vibrant and spiritual works. The story follows young Ponyo, a goldfish. She escapes from the ocean and is rescued by a five-year-old human. They form an intimate bond, and through magic, Ponyo transforms into a humanoid girl.
Her favourite food, and one that has become a staple of Ghibli’s succulent presentation of national dishes, is ramen. A simple, yet tantalisingly succulent bowl of soup with ramen noodles, accompanied by two slices of ham, a soft boiled egg, and a sprinkling of spring onions.
The droplets of oil make the dish even more delectable and as one of the most popular dishes throughout Japan (and those enamoured by Japanese food culture), it’s no wonder that Ponyo savours every last drop as if it were her last. While most food in Ponyo looks absolutely scrumptious, her excitement (and ours too!) makes Ponyo ramen one of the more iconic Studio Ghibli food scenes.
Japanese Castella Cake from The Wind Rises
Castella Cake, otherwise known as Japanese Honey Cake, is a spongy, soft and endearingly sweet style treat that appears in many anime feats. As seen above in Hayao Miyazaki’s, The Wind Rises (2013), Castella is primarily made from flour, sugar, eggs, and mizuame – a sticky liquid Japanese sweetener that literally translates to “water candy”.
Although lacking any confectionery named “Castella” in Portugal, the cake historically originates from Portuguese merchants travelling to Japan in the 16th century, deriving from the term Pão de Castela or “bread from Castille”. Castella Cake, now a specialty of Nagasaki, is usually like a soft block and served in long boxes. It feels moist due to the mizuame. It is categorizes with other traditional Japanese confections known as Wagashi.
Castella Cake is great with green tea and comes in many varieties. This sweet, sugary treat will rouse your culture buds and tantalize your taste buds. It’s also certainly one of the tastier Studio Ghibli cakes!
The Chocolate Cake from Kiki’s Delivery Service
Food in Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) plays an important part in Kiki’s development. She is constantly surrounded by sweets and pastries from the Gütiokipänja Bakery. Many memorable scenes revolve around these treats. They symbolize the sweetness of life and adventure.
While chocolate cake may be a common recipe, Kiki’s chocolate cake is iconic, both representing her customers’ affection for her and segueing into Kiki saving Tombo. It’s cute, simple, and still looks absolutely tasty, leading to many recreations and recipes made by Studio Ghibli fans of all ages.
Honourable Anime Food Mentions
Of course, delicious-looking anime food isn’t limited to Studio Ghibli movies. Several food anime and cooking anime leave many viewers drooling and hungry for their own sweet treats. While Studio Ghibli offers some of the most picturesque depictions of food in anime, some tasty treats often seen in other anime must be mentioned.
Dango
Dango – the sweet, sticky, softball of mochiko (rice flour) often seen in anime as a sort of sickly treat for our favourite characters to gorge on. Dango is a popular sweet. It is found throughout Japan and in places that enjoy Japanese food culture. People generally serve it on a skewer, and it drips with syrup.
A great snack to get your blood sugar pumping, as is customary for our frantic samurai, Mugen from Shinichirō Watanabe’s beloved Samurai Champloo (2005).
Kuchikamizake From Your Name
Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name (2016) is by and large one of the best and most prolific anime films of the 21st century. Depicting a gender-bending narrative that has its two lead characters. They are Taki Tachibana and Mitsuha Miyamizu, swapping bodies in a time-leaping, star-gazing adventure into love, life and the longing to be elsewhere other than your current circumstance.
Yet, besides the serene beauty of the heavenly colour palette, the transfixing time jumps and eclipsing the power of cosmological love, the most alluring and yet disgusting element of the movie is the concocting of the Kuchikamizake – a precursor to sake – which entails the participant to chew on cooked rice and spit the resulting liquid into a vial to begin the fermentation process.
As the catalyst to the lover’s final body-swapping moment, the Kuchikamizake has been an all-out curiosity of mine since seeing the movie. And as fans of all things sake, it’s one we’re intent on trying.
Studio Ghibli Food in Real Life
The culinary world of Studio Ghibli is rich with stories, culture, and artistry. By recreating these iconic dishes at home or seeking them out in Japan. Fans can connect with the magic of Ghibli in a meaningful way. Food not only nourishes the body but also feeds the soul, just as it does for the beloved characters we have come to cherish.
Whether you’re enjoying a comforting bowl of ramen or sharing a lovingly prepared bento, the essence of Studio Ghibli food lies in the care and creativity that goes into each meal. So gather your ingredients, don your apron, and embark on a delicious culinary journey inspired by the enchanting world of Studio Ghibli.
