“Osechi food (おせち料理) /Japanese traditional food for New Year”
Hi Everyone, Happy New Year! How are you?
Special Xmas Design Cake - Ozu’s Pastry-
Today’s blog is about “Osechi food”
“Osechi food” is a traditional food for new year celebration in Japan.
We want to share the knowledge with you.
“Osechi “ means a part of changing season.
We pray to God for harvest (A lot of vegetable will grow from the soil.)This is a habit in Japan.
We also make meaningful foods in the end of December as we can eat from Jan 1 to 3 . January 1-3 are “New Year’s celebration holidays(Oshougatsu：お正月)” in Japan.
The food is called “Osechi food” in Japan.
We explain about the food’s meaning and why we eat them.
King fish(鯛) : Celebration of happiness
Yellow tail fish(鰤) : Wishing for growing and raising up money
Ise shrimp(伊勢海老) : Wishing for long life (A shrimp has long beard and
It looks bending in back. So It means to live long until the back becomes bending curve like shrimp. Ise shrimp is a king of shrimp. It is huge size and can be found at the “Ise” area’s sea in Japan.
Sanban-sou(さんばんそう) - This word is from Kyougen (狂言). Kyougen is traditional dance of Japan without talking. The performers wear face mask and kimono.
The meaning of “Sanban-sou” is expressing for harvest.
These three items are “Sanban-sou” of “Osechi foods”
1.黒豆 (black beans) - To do hard work
2.田つくり (small fishes) - To make(support) Paddy field by these small fish
3.数の子 (Herring roe/ fish’s eggs) - Wishing to increase children
For the meanings of other foods:
甘栗 (Sweet chestnuts) -The chestnuts color is yellow(gold).
It shows money luck.
伊達巻(Date-maki) - Wishing to increase knowledge. The food shape is rolling documents.
It means to get more knowledge.”Date” means different good sense.
かまぼこ(Fish cake) - Red color’s fish cake is for happy things.
White one shows purity to god.
昆布(Kelp) - Wishing for Long life
ごぼう(burdock) - The burdock’s roots widely and deeply spread into to the soil.
(forever happiness)
And so on.
Family with Xmas decoration cake
Happy Holidays to Everyone! Thank you very much for reading and taking your precious time with us. See you again on our next blog.
And so on.