14 Osechi Dishes to Serve on Japanese New Year

Osechi are traditional Japanese dishes packaged in boxes known as jūbako, which are a core component of Japanese New Year celebrations. Like bento boxes, jūbako boxes consist of partitioned compartments that you can fill with bite-sized dishes, which bring good tidings for the year ahead. These boxes can be homemade and relatively casual or incredibly ornate, with multiple-tiered boxes, which you can purchase in department stores and convenience stores throughout Japan.

In osechi’s earliest incarnations during the Heian period (794–1195), the boxes only contained nimono, simply cooked vegetables dressed in a savory-sweet blend of soy sauce and mirin. As the tradition grew in popularity, so too did the offerings. In some households, osechi is preceded by toshikoshi soba, a noodle dish eaten on New Year’s Eve to honor the passing of one year into the next.

Tradition dictates that the first days of the new year are for rest, which means no cooking. The preparation of osechi in advance is a way to celebrate in a meaningful fashion with minimum fuss. A box of osechi may include:

1. 1. Datemaki: Slices of a scroll-shaped sweet rolled omelet with shrimp or fish paste symbolize scholarship and learning.
   
2. 2. Ebi: This dish of prawns (ebi) cooked with soy sauce and sake is intended to bring longevity.
3. 3. Kohaku kamaboko: Half-moon slices of Japanese fish cake are tinted with lucky white and red coloring to evoke the rising sun of Japan’s flag.
4. 4. Kohaku namasu: Daikon radish and carrot salad flavored with a yuzu vinegar mimic the red and white colors on the Japanese flag, bringing more good luck.
5. 5. Kazunoko: The inclusion of herring roe blesses the receiver with numerous children.
6. 6. Kombu: Kelp, which takes its name from yorokobu, meaning joy, is a common sight in an osechi spread, sometimes in the form of kobumaki, rolls of kelp stuffed with salmon.
7. 7. Kuromame: Kuromame are black soybeans. “Mame” also means health, which is why these black beans are added to osechi spreads to encourage good health and stamina in the new year.
8. 8. Kuri kinton: The vibrant gold coloring of candied chestnuts and yellow Japanese sweet potatoes symbolizes good fortune.
9. 9. O-zoni: This soup features mochi rice cakes, chicken, and leafy greens, like komatsuna, in miso or dashi-based broth. *O-zoni *can be served either Kansai (western Japan) or Kanto (eastern Japan) style.
10. 10. Satoimo: Simmered taro root, like herring roe, offers blessings to a family with many children (a nod to the many offshoots of the tuber).
11. 11. Su renkon: The open tunnels of pickled lotus root symbolize the removal of obstacles in the year ahead.
12. 12. Tataki gobo: Sturdy burdock root with sesame sauce is added to osechi boxes to promote strength and tenacity in the new year.
13. 13. Tai: Tai, the Japanese word for sea bream, evokes medetai—joy and happiness.
14. 14. Tazukuri: The inclusion of candied sardines in an osechi spread is a linguistic nod to farmers who use sardines (and other types of fish like mackerel and anchovies) to fertilize rice fields: the word in kanji translates to “rice paddy maker.” Tazakuri symbolizes a prosperous harvest.

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