Happy New Year or あけましておめでとうございます。

In the Japanese culture, we have ozōni (mochi soup) that symbolizes good luck, as well as some other Japanese dishes. When I was younger, my grandma made all kinds of Japanese dishes for New Year’s Eve and Day. Unfortunately, the recipes were all “in her head.” She didn’t write them down before she had passed. So my family and I don’t eat all the different foods she used to make before. But the main thing we know how to make is the ozōni.

For 2020, I will be handed the baton to continue the ozōni tradition. I’m excited to experiment a bit and make the soup my own. Look out for that post in the near future.

I found this article a very interesting read: http://jpninfo.com/40490.

I’ve learned that everyone makes their ozōni differently. I’ve got to try different soups over the years and they are indeed different from the mochi soup I eat at home. It even looks different, too.

The soup I eat every year. Recipe that has been in my family for years…

Ozōni from Yajima-Ya Japanese restaurant.

The soup-base, or dashi, I’m always used to eating is dark. It’s a shoyu-based soup. I found it interesting that all the other dashi I’ve tried have all been light, such as the one above. The broth is pretty much clear. They’re all still very delicious. Tastes very different for sure, which I love. It’s wonderful to know that ozōni is very unique. I’m always excited to try other ozōni. I always take advantage of that! Can’t have too much good luck for the new year.

I wish everyone a splendid 2019. It’s going to be an awesome year!

FS~