On Saturday, 14 February 2026, employees of the Media Center Directorate of the GDIP organized a creative workshop titled ‘Miniature Wonder: DIY Bento Cake’. The participating group comprised employees of the Embassy of Canada in Ukraine and two international organizations: The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the European Union Advisory Mission Ukraine.
A bento cake is a miniature pastry made for one person, neatly packaged in a lunch box for easy carrying or as a sweet alternative to a gift card. The name comes from the Japanese word bento, which refers to a traditional food box made of wood or plastic that people carry. Portioned cakes in bento or lunchboxes became popular in South Korean bakeries during the COVID-19 pandemic, when large-scale celebrations with large birthday cakes became inappropriate. At that time, compact desserts in this style proved to be a more convenient and safer alternative. Thanks to social media, the trend quickly spread to China, Japan, and Taiwan, and later gained popularity in Western countries. These days, a bento cake is a stylish piece of modern décor, presented in a compact box that combines aesthetics, elegance, and individuality. In culinary art, it is often referred to as an edible compliment, because its creator puts special meaning, emotions, and inspiration into each such product.
At the workshop, in a cosy atmosphere and under the guidance of an experienced pastry chef, the participants gradually created their own sweet masterpieces with pre-selected fillings: snickers, cherry-chocolate or vanilla-raspberry. The diplomats assembled the pre-prepared sponges into full cakes, mastering the skills of applying cream, levelling the surface and forming a neat coating.
The decorating stage offered the most room for creativity: the participants made inscriptions and drawings to their liking, freely expressing their ideas. Each guest took their own bento cake home to enjoy or to present to a loved one as a special token of attention.
