OSECHI RYORI (Special Japanese New Year Food) by lulujones

In Japan, the first day of the year is the most important, thus merits some serious partying. By this, I mean celebrating, eating and sharing, Japanese style. New Year's day is meant to be a stress-free, vibrant, festive time. It's the day that sets the standard for the rest of your year; it's the day that symbolizes the year that has only just begun, so people obviously want it to be amazing. They spend the day visiting or calling others to wish them the best for the year to come, but by and large, the main activity of the first three days of the year, beginning on January 1st, is to eat. And eat, they do. Osechi Ryori, a very special selection of Japanese cuisine, is only eaten on Oshogatsu (Japanese New Year). These colorful, traditional dishes are beautifully arranged in a Jubako, a 3 or 4-tiered lacquer box and are associated with health, happiness and prosperity and many of the dishes have special meanings:

Bamboo Shoots: virtue, fidelity, or constancy.

Bitter Orange: means from generation to generation.

Burdock: symbolizes energy, and stability since it is rooted firmly in the ground.

Daikon: (Japanese white radish) symbolizes a Long Life.

Datemaki: Rolled omelet means always learning.

Ebi (prawn) symbolizes a wish for a long life.

Gomame (small dried sardines) symbolizes a rich harvest.

Kachiguri: (dried chestnuts) success, because the homonym of the first part, kachi, means to win or victory.

Kamaboko: (a fish paste roll on a board, usually red/pink in the inside, surrounded by white paste). It symbolizes sunrise.

Kazunoko: (prepared herring roe) means treasure all children.

Kobumaki (rolled seaweed) symbolizes pleasure or delight.

Kurikinton: (sweet chestnuts (kuri) and sweet potato) means growing prosperity.

Kuromame (sweet black boiled soybeans) symbolizes being hardworking, industrious, strong and healthy.

Lobster: symbolizes old age because of its crooked back - wishing old age to all dear friends.

Lotus: hope of future happiness

Namazu: (fish mixed with radish and julienne carrots in a flavored vinegar broth) implies Celebration, one of the oldest dishes in Japan.

Nimono: (simmered white radish, burdock and lotus) calls for long life, stability, energy and future happiness.

Sea Bream (Tai): Tai is always eaten at celebratory occasions. Omedetai means to celebrate.

Seaweed: In Japanese it’s called Kombu, the symbol for happiness and joy.

Tazukuri: (sweet sardine, almost dry) means great harvest, also called Gomame.

Another New Year's favorite dish is Ozoni, a soup containing sticky rice cakes (Omochi). Recipes for Ozoni vary from region to region but
typically are a basic chicken broth with vegetables, chicken, fish cakes called kamaboko and the requisite rice cakes. Ozoni is the first thing you eat in the morning to welcome the New Year.

Finally, Osechi Ryori wouldn't be complete without a festive toast of o-toso, a rice wine spiked with ten medicinal herbs. According to an ancient belief, if one drinks o-toso, there will be no sickness because it is believed that o-toso has the strength to wipe out evil spirits, and rejuvenate and prolong life.

Happy New Year! May you have the most magical and glorious New Year ever.