food served during the New Year's Holidays

What is Japanese Osechi-ryori ? (Japanese New Year's Dish)

Osechi-ryori (お節料理) is a traditional Japanese New Year's dish. It is a special meal eaten at home to welcome in the New Year, and most families eat it on January 1. The word "osechi" refers to the day of "sechi," or seasonal milestone, and is written in Chinese characters as "osechi-" (御節).
Osechi mainly consists of dishes using seasonal vegetables, tofu, konnyaku, konbu, etc. The dishes are packed and stored in stacked boxes, which are said to bring "overlapping good fortune," and are arranged in odd numbers, which is believed to bring good fortune. It is also said that people have a tradition of not using knives until January 3, which is associated with "cutting the ties of good fortune," and that they made and stored osechi at the end of the year to avoid being in the kitchen too much in the New Year.

food served during the New Year's Holidays


Osechi-ryori includes a variety of dishes, each with which has its own auspicious meaning.

Kinton - written as "golden dumplings", and because of its golden color, it increases one's golden fortune.
Datemaki - a sweet sponge cake-like omelet. From its resemblance to the pattern of a kimono, it is said that one will have no trouble finding something to wear.
Taro - from the fact that it has many small potatoes in the soil, it means prosperity of offspring.
Renkon - good prospects for the future because of the hole in the ground.
Shrimp - May you live long until your waist bends.
Sukonoko - also for prosperity of offspring because of the large number of eggs in a belly.
Kombumaki - kelp rolls, kelp (kombu) is associated with "root" and "prosperity of offspring," and the word "kelp" itself is associated with "inviting good fortune.
Yellowtail - May one be successful in life, as yellowtail is a fish for success in life!
Kuromame - Pray for diligence and hard work!

food served during the New Year's Holidays

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food served during the New Year's Holidays

                    

 

food served during the New Year's Holidays


In modern times, in addition to the traditional Osechi, we also see arrangements of food served on a single plate. We hope you enjoy your Osechi and wish you a wonderful year!

first sunrise (of New Year)
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