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Japan's “Oshogatsu “ or "Shogatsu," or New Year's celebrations, are deeply rooted in custom and have great cultural value. Beginning on January 1st and often continuing into the first few days of the new year, the celebrations typically last for a number of days. These festivities are centered with some type of food which is usually offered as a new year gift and signifies wealth, health & happiness. Shogatsu revolves around food, with families cooking Osechi Ryori, a variety of traditional meals served in beautiful wooden boxes. Some of these foods, each with its own history and meaning, have come to be associated with the New Year's celebrations.
Learn about five beautiful traditional Japanese foods for the New Year including Kagami Mochi and Toshi-Koshi Soba meaning wishes of prosperity and longevity, respectively. These five traditional dishes are essential parts of a Japanese New Year meal because each of them has a significance – long noodles for longevity, fish for prosperity, dumplings for success, and sweet desserts for sweet new year. In addition to providing nourishment, its preparation and consumption let people connect with centuries of cultural tradition and exchange hopes for the upcoming year.
Toshi-Koshi Soba (Year-Crossing Noodles)
Also known as "year-crossing noodle," toshikoshi soba is symbolic. Toshi-Koshi Soba, also known as New Year's Eve Soba, is a delicious noodle dish that is often eaten on December 31st as a means of welcoming the new year and saying goodbye to the previous one. Toshi-Koshi Soba, which is traditionally cooked with buckwheat noodles and represents longevity, is an important meal when families get together to talk about the previous year and their goals for the one to come. To get a smooth and clean texture, the soba noodles are rinsed after being boiled until just soft. They are normally consumed with soup that is prepared from soy sauce, mirin and dashi, a Japanese soup that has a yummy umami flavour. For extra texture and flavour, many families top with tempura, sliced green onions, or kamaboko (fish cake).
Kagami Mochi (Rice Cakes)
A tangerine (daidai) is positioned on top of two spherical rice cakes (mochi), which are layered one on top of the other to create Kagami Mochi, a traditional Japanese treat. This beautiful arrangement represents of wealth and family stability. "Kagami" means "mirror," signifying the mochi's spherical, glossy form, which also denotes cleanliness and purity. During the New Year, Kagami Mochi is frequently offered to the gods on altars in homes. Families officially break and consume the mochi on January 11, which is known as "Kagami Biraki," in hopes of good health and luck in the next year. As for the mochi, there are several ways of usage, some families incorporate pieces of mochi into soups or use it in other kinds of dishes for sweets, this practice helps bring two families closer.
Image Credit: Flickr
Datemaki (Rolled Omelet)
Japan celebrates the New Year with a particular place for datemaki, a traditional rolled omelette. This dish has a distinct flavour and a soft, custard-like texture since it is made with eggs and a mixture of sweet fish paste or prawns. Its sweet flavour represents joy and success in the next year. The first step in making Datemaki is to whisk eggs, fish paste or powdered prawns, sugar and mirin until the mixture is well combined. In order to keep the egg mixture from breaking while rolling, it is usually cooked in a square pan by layering it. After cooking, the omelete is tightly rolled, allowed to cool, and then sliced into lovely circular pieces. These slices provide holiday meals a lovely appearance when they are put tastefully in Osechi Ryori boxes. Datemaki is a beloved Shogatsu staple that is consumed during New Year's celebrations as a symbol of hope for a sweet and successful year ahead.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Kabu-no-sunomono (Pickled Daikon Radish)
A pickled baby turnip is used to make the Japanese New Year's dish kabu-no-sunomono.Slices of the solid root vegetable turnip are first shaved thinly, and occasionally they are plated to resemble chrysanthemum flowers. In Japan, chrysanthemums are used to honour joyous moments and are a symbol of the ruler. Usually, vinegar, salt, and sugar are combined to create the pickling liquid used to produce kabu-no-sunomono. To add some colour and spice and to make the formed turnip more like a flower, a chilli pepper is placed in the centre of it. However, thin pickled turnip sheets are more frequently plated in a simpler manner. This dish is ideal for balancing flavours during festive meals and offers a zesty contrast to the rich and heavier dishes of Osechi Ryori.
Image Credit: Flickr
Kuri Kinton (Chestnut and Sweet Potato Dish)
Kuri kinton, or "chestnut gold mash," is a delicacy made of mashed Japanese sweet potatoes called satsumaimo and candied chestnuts called kuri. The satsumaimo are peeled, chopped, and boiled before being mashed or pureed to make kuri kinton. Along with some of their syrup, salt, and mirin, the chestnuts which have been preserved in a sweet syrup are added to the potatoes. In this dish, the beautiful yellow gold colour represents success and prosperity for the New Year. Kuri Kinton can be presented in a pretty way, as in a little bowl or shaped like a holiday.
Image Credit: Flickr
The ceremonies of the Japanese New Year are lively events full of deep culinary customs and meaning. Each of the meals prepared for this happy event represents the desire for happiness, success, and good health and at the same time welcome the new year. Besides bringing pleasure to the gathering, including these traditional dishes into your celebrations will enable your guest to have a better appreciation of Japanese culture and food.
