What is a packed lunch ?

Bento Box

A packed lunch is a lunch prepared at home and carried to be eaten somewhere else, such as school, a workplace , or at an outing . The food is usually wrapped in plastic, aluminium foil , or paper and can be carried  in a lunchbox , paper bag  or plastic bag.

In Japan , a packed lunch is called a Bento . Bento  is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese Cuisine . A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container. Containers range from disposable mass  to hand crafted lacquerware . Although bento are readily available in many places throughout Japan, including convenience stores , bento shops ,train stations , and departments , it is still common for Japanese homemakers to spend time and energy for their spouse, child, or themselves producing a carefully prepared lunch box .

Other Types of Packed Lunch :There are similar forms of boxed lunches in the Philippines (Baon), Korea (Dosirak), Taiwan (Biandang), and India (Tiffin). Also, Hawaiian culture has adopted localized versions of bento featuring local tastes after over a century of Japanese influence in the islands.