Happy New Year 2014!! あけましておめでとうございます What are Japanese family eating on the New Years Day? -Osechi- Washoku

Hello! 2014!!

Hope you had a wonderful new year’s day!

The picture above is OSECHI, Japanese traditional new year’s WASHOKU. Japanese family eats Osechi on the New Years Day. It takes 5days to get ready. This year, I helped making limited 100set of OSECHI box at my uncle’s restaurant in Nagakute, Aichi. Tastes are based on dashi, but added a lot of sugar to last them longer. Because traditionally, Japanese wife cooks everyday except New Years Day. So sugar let her rest for few days from cooking. That’s why Osechi is sweeter than any other Japanese traditionals. Thanks sugar!

After Christmas day, we started making them. it took about 3 days days to cook Washoku, very slow food. Each Osechi has a meaning, for example, this is called”GOBO MAKI” burdocks roled by beef. We use a lot of burdocks for Osechi because burdock’s root is very long and thick in the soil to be a base and help blooming” It means “Stability””Prosperity””Boom the market”etc…

Octopus has important meanings too. Octopus has 8 legs. 8 is happy number as I mentioned before here. Asian people think ,from its shape, 8 brings happiness. From movement of octopus, Octopus brings persistent efforts etc… We boiled and dipped into bonito-based Dashi for two days.

Another important thing for Osechi is “to show them beautifully.” After arranging in the box, the chef checks these balance.

This is the top of two layers box. color is also important. We use a lot of yellow(gold), red and white to celebrate a new year. On the last day of 2013, people who already reserved Osechi box came to pick  them up.  We wrapped Osechi with Furoshiki, a type of traditional Japanese wrapping cloth traditionally used to transport clothes, gifts, or other good. People went back to their home and got ready for the new year. Some family started eating osechi as soon as they got home. Yay! Happy New Year!