Eat yourself lucky
The secrets of Japan's traditional New Year food
Everyone makes their own list of must-dos while staying in this
unique country, and I'm sure that eating osechi ryori on New
Year's Day is on quite a few of those lists. Whether invited by a
co-worker, student, or significant other, a chance to indulge on
generous helpings of traditional holiday cuisine shouldn't be
passed up. Taking days to complete, a full osechi meal consists
of a wide assortment of side dishes, all creatively arranged in a
three- or four-tiered lacquer box (called a jubako). Each side dish
has a symbolic meaning, so rather than continually asking your
host to explain their significance, I'd like to offer a listing of
some of the main dishes you'll find inside your jubako, along
with a short explanation of meaning. Enjoy the feast and show
off your cultural knowledge:
Kazunoko (herring roe): Probably the least appetizing of all the
osechi foods, these tiny, crunchy yellow eggs symbolize fertility
and offspring. Kazunoko literally translates as "(large) number of
children".
Datemaki (rolled omelette): This is similar to tamago-yaki, but
usually includes a filling of fish paste or shrimp and is cut just like
maki-zushi. Rolled food symbolizes the preservation of culture,
because in the old times important historical documents were
written on scrolls.
Kuromame (sweet black beans): Japanese people love the play
on words, and the name of this dish is another example. Mame
sounds a lot like majime, the Japanese word for hardworking,
thus a symbol of prosperity for the coming year.
Tazukuri (dried sardines – head included): Also known as
gomame, this unique dish is eaten in hopes of bringing a
bountiful harvest for the upcoming year. The name literally
means "(rice) field making". In the Kansai, people prefer the
name gomame because of its hardworking connotations.
Kobumaki (rolled kelp): Another rolled food, but this time
stuffed with salmon and tied together with a piece of gourd.
Kobumaki represents happiness, as seen from its root word
yorokobu.
Tai (sea bream): This fish is always eaten on festive occasions,
because of its association with good tidings and happiness.
The source comes from the word medetai.
Kurikinton (mashed sweet potatoes and chestnuts): Representing
wealth and success, this sweet dish is gold colored, and uses
the Chinese character kin, meaning gold and money.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but will get you started in
the right direction and should at least give you a little advanced
knowledge of what to expect. Bear in mind that no two families
prepare osechi in the same manner, and it's perfectly acceptable
for the cook to substitute food to suit domestic preferences.
Let's just hope your host doesn't opt out for generic department
store cooked osechi, or a convenience store 'Western' style
platter. Before pleasing one's palate, take note of the type
of cutlery used, as traditionalists will break out their pairs of
yanagibashi. Made from willow and symmetrical in shape,
these special chopsticks are usually served in a decorative paper
wrapper called a hashigami. Sadly, some families choose to use
a disposable variety made of cedar instead of the reusable ones
- tradition and convenience fighting hand in hand once again.
Osechi is usually served with a piping hot bowl of ozoni (mochi
soup), which provides a nice contrast to all of the cold ingredients
in the jubako. The only other hot food eaten is toshikoshi
soba, served on New Year's Eve and supposedly eaten to ensure
a long life. When I first arrived in this country, I assumed that
these noodles must've been made produced through a special
process or must contain a special type of buckwheat, but that's
not the case. They're exactly the same soba we'd eat every other
day of the year, just under a different name. I'm not sure if eating
instant soba undermines your chances of gaining a long life, but
maybe it's best to follow tradition on this one. Itadakimasu!
Text & photos: Wes Lang
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