Onigiri (Omusubi) revisited: An easier way to make Japanese rice balls, step by step

One of the most popular entries on this site is the one about onigiri, or Japanese rice balls, which I wrote more than 3 years ago. (A lot of people landed there searching for onigiri as portrayed in anime or manga, especially Fruits Basket...which is interesting.) It was one of the very early entries on the blog, and I gave the traditional way of making the onigiri: hot rice put on moistened and salted palms, which quickly turn red and sore because of the heat from the rice.

I've made hundreds of onigiri in the 3 years since I wrote that, because onigiri are such great portable meals for picnics, not to mention party food and late-night snacks. But let's face it, those red sore palms aren't too pleasant, and the rice grains do tend to stick all over the place. Also, portioning with the rice scooper can be a bit erratic unless you are an onigiri-making expert.