Skip to content
Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2023 from the Oishii Nippon Project!

In Japanese, the greeting changes after the New Year arrives and now, as of 1/1, we can say あけましておめでとうございます!(Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu) 

There are so many New Year's traditions in Japan, but today we will share a little bit about Osechi 御節. Osechi or New Year’s dishes are another tradition (along with O-souji / New Year's cleaning) that started in the Heian period (794-1185).

Osechi is arranged beautifully in stacked lacquered boxes, called Ojubako. The stacking of them is intended to convey hope for continuous layers of wealth, happiness, and good to come. 

Each dish also has a symbolic meaning filled with hopes for the New Year. Here are just some of the Osechi dishes and their meanings: 

  • Datemaki 伊達巻 / sweet rolled omelette: wisdom, scholarship, learning
  • Kuromame 黒豆 / sweet black beans: health
  • Renkon 蓮根 / lotus root: foreseeability, bright future
  • Kamaboko かまぼこ / fish cakes: the Sun
  • Kombu 昆布 / seaweed: joy
  • Ebi えび / shrimp: longevity

We wish you all of these things and more in 2023! 

2023年も宜しくお願いします!

Older Post
Newer Post

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published

Read more...

Meet the Growers: Zaid Kurdieh at Norwich Meadows Farm

Four hours north of New York City, Norwich Meadows Farm grows a massive diversity of produce for the culinary community and farmers market shoppers.

Three Tips for Sowing Shishimai Pepper

Ready to sow your Shishimai pepper seeds? Here are three tips to get your seeds started successfully. 

Sowing Negi Seeds

Yukiho from the Tokita research station demonstrates how to successfully germinate your Negi seeds using cell trays. 

Search

Shopping Cart

Announce discount codes, free shipping etc