January 2022

Ozouni A classic New Year's dish.

Ozoni, A New Year's dish

Ozoni is a dish that is eaten during the New Year's holiday, but there are so many different kinds of zoni.
Although Japan is a small country, each prefecture has its own version of this unusual dish.
I can't introduce all of them, but I will introduce some of the typical ones as well as some of the more unusual ones.
First, let's take a look at Ozoni in the famous Japanese cities of Tokyo and Osaka and Hokkaido.

Zoni in Tokyo

In Tokyo, Ozoni is made with a broth based on soy sauce and mirin. Chicken, green vegetables, and shiitake mushrooms are basically added to this soup stock.
These are the basic ingredients, but there are still some differences depending on the region. In some areas, taro and daikon are added without chicken.

Zoni in Oosaka

Osaka's Zoni is called "Akinai Zoni".
The word "akinai" means "business" or "commerce" in English.
Osaka is a city of commerce. This is why it is called Akinai Zoni.
Basically, white miso is used.
Osaka's Zoni is a miso soup with vegetables such as carrots and taro in it.
The word "Akinai" also has another meaning: insatiable.
Therefore, it is customary to eat the zoni mentioned above on January 1st, and a completely different zoni based on soy sauce on January 2nd.

Zoni in Kyoto

Kyoto's Zoni, like in Osaka, is made with white miso.
Unlike Osaka, people do not eat different zoni during the three days of the New Year.

Flavors differ between Kanto and Kansai areas.

Basically, zoni in the Kansai area is often made with white miso. The Kansai area includes Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and Nara.
On the other hand, in the Kanto area, most zoni are based on soy sauce. The Kanto area includes Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, and Saitama.

Zoni in Hokkaido

Hokkaido is also a famous place. However, Hokkaido is clearly different from other prefectures in terms of size. For this reason, it is not possible to sum up all of Hokkaido's ozoni.
However, there is a typical type of ozoni called zoni with chicken bones.
Rather than using miso or soy sauce to make the soup, chicken bones are used to make the broth. It is similar to ramen. Also, in the case of zoni in Hokkaido, sugar is added to the soup. This is why it has a sweeter flavor than many other typical zoni.

Ozoni with a strong impact

Now that we have introduced you to some of the typical ozoni in Japan's major cities, let's break them down into some of their characteristics. Ozoni with a strong visual impact!

Yaki Haze Zoni

This is a zoni from Miyagi Prefecture. It is also known as Sendai Zoni. It is also known as Sendai Zoni. The type of fish is called goby. The fish is called goby, which is no longer caught, and is sometimes substituted with other fish.

Ebi Zoni

This is the zoni of Toyama Prefecture. The boiled shrimp on top is very impressive. Because shrimp is abundant in Toyama Prefecture, there are many foods made with shrimp other than zoni.

Simple Ozoni

Unlike the previous impact, there is also a very simple zoni. It does not have many ingredients, but it is simple yet delicious.

Zoni in Fukui

Ozoni is a simple soup stock made from kombu (kelp) and soy sauce, with just some dried bonito flakes.
It is the simplest dish in Japan, no exaggeration.
The taste is very good, and you can enjoy the rice cake without any extra flavor.

Shiraae Zoni

Similar to the white miso soup mentioned earlier, this soup is made from tofu. It is made by adding pasted tofu to the soup stock. A little sugar is added when seasoning to add sweetness.
This is the ozoni of Ibaraki Prefecture.