Are Japanese lunch boxes(bento) meant to be eaten cold?

I heard you have to put the food in the box until its cold because the moisture can ruin the box and I have one but its not microwave safe so whats the point. Are they meant to be eaten cold or microwaved before you eat it? Does anyone know? :]Are Japanese lunch boxes(bento) meant to be eaten cold?
Bento is to carry foods. So if you eat it several hours after it's cooked, you will eat it in cold. And it's an usual case.Are Japanese lunch boxes(bento) meant to be eaten cold?
Are you talking about making your own lunch using a bento box, or are you talking about the bentos you can buy at the store?



If you are talking about the bentos you can buy at the deli, restaurant, cafe, etc. make sure the packaging is microwave safe. If not, it could melt and cause a lot of trouble, not to mention the chemicals that may leech into the food.



If you are talking about making your own box, you can put the food in while it's still hot, but make sure everything cools before you put the lid on the box. If the food is still warm and you put the lid on, moisture will be trapped inside the box, causing the food to spoil. (It also makes the lid harder to pry off later)



Bentos are traditionally meant to be eaten cold, but lately there are bento boxes on the market with cooling/heating capabilities, so it's kind of a free for all now. (Esp with microwaves everywhere, even in the convenience stores, they ask if you would like the bento nuked or not)



Hope this helps!Are Japanese lunch boxes(bento) meant to be eaten cold?
u can prepare it %26amp; eat it coldAre Japanese lunch boxes(bento) meant to be eaten cold?
Bentos are usually meant to keep food at room temp, so you have to be careful of what you put in there. Rice should be vinegared, or have some "umeboshi" to keep the bacteria from growing, etc. You wouldn't microwave it, or otherwise it heat up.