I saw an ad in one of the Japanese restaurants that I go to with my family. ￥24000 yen for Osechi-ryori. Reservations for Osechi-ryori are already available. End of October, early November... and Japanese are thinking about new year dishes. Japanese likes to be well prepared and likes to do it early. I know as a fact I can't book airplane tickets for the main vacations(Golden week in May, summer vacation in August and Winter vacation in December) unless I book about 3 months before time.
Okay back on track...
Osechi-ryōri 御節料理 or お節料理: traditional Japanese New Year foods
If buying one, prices range from around US 100 dollors to maybe around 1000 dollors? Or even more. Absurd? Yes, spending a fortune for a couple of meals which are eaten at home can be absurd. But here, it is nothing abnormal.
So why do we, Japanese buy or make Osechi-ryori?
Well, in the old days, since the market or stores closed and it was very difficult to get groceries, house wives made food for the family which can be eaten for couple of weeks which is cooking preserved food. I can say preserved food for new years is a lot of wisdom passed from our ancestors. Not only house wives don't have to go shopping for groceries but also don't have to cook for a couple of days. As a daughter of a mom who cooks her own Osechi-ryori every year, frankly speaking, I sometimes get bored of the food after a couple days. Sorry, Mom! But then, my mom did pass on how to cook and the meaning of the dishes just by letting her girls help out in the kitchen and talking as she cooked.
Nowadays, more and more stores are open all year round including New years(January the 1st through 3rd in Japan). So I see not everyone makes or buys Osechi these days. However, the tradition to eat Osechi is taught to the next generation. Japanese take it seriously to pass on the tradition including all the seasonal events. Since most of Japan has 4 seasons, appreciating/feeling the 4 seasons are important for the Japanese. That can be done by celebrating or practicing all the events. Meaning the kids are likely to eat Osechi to understand the tradition and culture and know the meaning of why we eat certain things at New Year. (Please see below for the meanings of the dishes.) This is difficult when living outside Japan. My parents were aware about this when we lived in Los Angeles where the weather is good all year round and didn't have 4 seasons like Japan.
The things inside the Osechi each has a meaning. These are some of them which I quote from Wikipedia.
So why do we, Japanese buy or make Osechi-ryori?
Well, in the old days, since the market or stores closed and it was very difficult to get groceries, house wives made food for the family which can be eaten for couple of weeks which is cooking preserved food. I can say preserved food for new years is a lot of wisdom passed from our ancestors. Not only house wives don't have to go shopping for groceries but also don't have to cook for a couple of days. As a daughter of a mom who cooks her own Osechi-ryori every year, frankly speaking, I sometimes get bored of the food after a couple days. Sorry, Mom! But then, my mom did pass on how to cook and the meaning of the dishes just by letting her girls help out in the kitchen and talking as she cooked.
Nowadays, more and more stores are open all year round including New years(January the 1st through 3rd in Japan). So I see not everyone makes or buys Osechi these days. However, the tradition to eat Osechi is taught to the next generation. Japanese take it seriously to pass on the tradition including all the seasonal events. Since most of Japan has 4 seasons, appreciating/feeling the 4 seasons are important for the Japanese. That can be done by celebrating or practicing all the events. Meaning the kids are likely to eat Osechi to understand the tradition and culture and know the meaning of why we eat certain things at New Year. (Please see below for the meanings of the dishes.) This is difficult when living outside Japan. My parents were aware about this when we lived in Los Angeles where the weather is good all year round and didn't have 4 seasons like Japan.
The things inside the Osechi each has a meaning. These are some of them which I quote from Wikipedia.
Osechi are easily recognizable by their special boxes called jūbako, which resemble bentō boxes. Like bentō boxes, jūbako are often kept stacked before and after use.
Daidai (橙), Japanese bitter orange. Daidai means "from generation to generation" when written in different kanji as 代々. Like kazunoko below, it symbolizes a wish for children in the New Year.
Datemaki (伊達巻 or 伊達巻き), sweet rolled omelette mixed with fish paste or mashed shrimp. They symbolize a wish for many auspicious days. On auspicious days (晴れの日, hare-no-hi), Japanese people traditionally wore fine clothing as a part of enjoying themselves. One of the meanings associated with the second kanji includes "fashionability," derived from the illustrious dress of the samurai from Date Han.
Kamaboko (蒲鉾), broiled fish paste. Traditionally, slices of red and white kamaboko are alternated in rows or arranged in a pattern. The color and shape are reminiscent of the rising sun, and have a celebratory, festive meaning.
Konbu (昆布), a kind of seaweed. It is associated with the word yorokobu, meaning "joy"
Kuro-mame (黒豆), black soybeans. Mame also means "health," symbolizing a wish for health in the New Year.
Okay, with my one year old girl walking about, I am not going to make all of this. I'll need to choose ... don't you agree? Or gambachau 頑張っちゃう ?
Tazukuri (田作り), dried sardines cooked in soy sauce. The literal meaning of the kanji in tazukuri is "rice paddy maker", as the fish were used historically to fertilize rice fields. The symbolism is of an abundant harvest.
Zōni (雑煮), a soup of mochi rice cakes in clear broth (in eastern Japan) or miso broth (in western Japan).
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