Happy New Year 2012 to all
We hope that the year 2012 will become happy and successful one for you and also we strongly wish that you have more chances to enjoy Japanese food in Japan or any other places around the world.
At the beginning of year, today we introduce Japanese new year feast, called Osechi Ryori (お節料理).
Osechi Ryori consists of many kinds of food that beautifully put in square shape tiered box called "jubako"(重箱) or "oju" (お重). Most of traditional Osechi Ryori food are "long-life" as the result of well-cooked, dried or pickled in sour etc. The unique cooking ways have been originated from the custom not to use fire and to give holidays also to ladies who are in charge of cooking on daily base during new year holidays, while Osechi Ryori requires at least a few days to cook until new year eve.
They are typical foods in Osechi Ryori.
Kamaboko (かまぼこ, steamed fish cake) and Namasu (なます, radish and carrot pickles), both dishes are in red and white colors, a pair of the colors are a symbol of celebration.
Datemaki (だて巻き, egg roll cake) and Kuri-Kinton (栗きんとん, chestnuts sweet paste), these two sweet dishes are what kids like in general.
As seafood, Tai (鯛, sea bream) and Ebi (海老, shrimps) are to be grilled and typical traditional celebration dishes, as well as Kazunoko (数の子, salted herring eggs).
Kuro-mame (黒豆, black beans), Kobu-maki (昆布巻き, kelp roll), and Renkon (れんこん, lotus roots) are served after cooked for long hours.
Zoni (雑煮, soup with assorted ingredients) is served by bowl, of course separately from square box.
There are still many others dishes that we are not able to introduce all here. Most of them each represent happiness, wealth, prosperity, longevity etc. Osechi Ryori are also arranged in a bit different ways by region and by family. Withing the first three days of new year, we keep having the feast, along with nice cups of sake, sharing with close family, relatives or invited friends. Hence many restaurants and bars are lilely to close for the first three days of year.
Now a days, some families purchase prepared Osechi Ryori offered by restaurants or catering services. It is also interesting to check around and try different versions of feasts, for examples, ones made by French restaurant, Chinese restaurant, luxury Japanese restaurants...
They are my family version Osechi Ryori.
It is only a part of them
