What to eat during New Year's? A collection of local New Year's dishes reflecting history and culture [Fukushima Prefecture]

New Year's cuisine has evolved in its own unique way across the country, and the New Year's cuisine of Fukushima Prefecture in the Tohoku region has also evolved to reflect the history and culture of the region.

such as squid and carrots and kozuyu , we would like to highlight other dishes as well !

So, this time we will introduce some of the classic dishes that are essential when talking about New Year's in Fukushima. Why not enjoy a taste of Fukushima-ness

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[Mame Kazunoko] Auspicious dish with a fun contrast of textures

This dish is a mixture of herring roe, a symbol of prosperity for descendants, and beans, which are believed to bring good health and hard work. The main ingredient in Mame Kazunoko is beans. It's best to imagine shredded herring roe among a large amount of beans.

The beans used are " hiyashi beans ."

A type of green soybean, it has a vibrant green color. Once harvested and thoroughly dried, the beans have a long shelf life and have long been treasured as a preserved food.

The recipe for mame kazunoko is simple. First, soak beans overnight in water and then boil them. Then, soak the herring roe in lightly salted water for at least half a day to remove the saltiness. Combine the two ingredients, pour over a marinade made from soy sauce, mirin, and dashi stock, and let it sit until the flavors blend.

The key is not to make the sauce too strong. The longer you leave it, the more it will marinate, and by the time you finish eating it, it will become increasingly salty. It's also delicious to marinate it in a light sauce and then pour soy sauce over it on the plate before eating. The crunchy texture of the beans and the crunchy texture of the herring roe are enjoyable and go well with alcohol. However, beans will fill you up, so be careful not to eat too many.

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[Hikinamochi] A household staple with the hope of avoiding fires

Hikinairi is a home-cooked dish made by slicing daikon radish and carrots into thick strips and stir-frying them together Hikinamochi made by adding frozen tofu, deep-fried tofu, and mochi to hikinairi . It is eaten throughout the prefecture, mainly in the northern part of Fukushima Prefecture.

Have you ever heard that eating daikon radish prevents heartburn? Apparently, the word "heartburn" is a play on the word "ridge burn," and it came to be used as a prayer to prevent a fire in the house (ridge).

It's easy to make. Simply fry shredded daikon radish, carrots, fried tofu, etc. in a pot, season with soy sauce and mirin, and cook until soft. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the rice cakes and when they are soft, it's done. Another great thing about this dish is that no special ingredients are required.

By the way, shredded daikon radish and carrots are a very common combination in northern Fukushima Prefecture. When making the classic New Year's dish, zoni, some households simmer shredded daikon radish and carrots with chicken in a soy sauce base. Shredded daikon radish and carrots are attractive in color and are easy to find even in winter, so they may be very useful.

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[Ohira] A superb dish packed with delicacies from the river, mountains, and sea

Tadami Town in Fukushima Prefecture is located in the southwestern part of the Aizu region and is known as one of the areas with the heaviest snowfall in the prefecture. To prepare for the harsh winters, the techniques of making preserved foods have been passed down in the region.

Ohira a New Year's dish that has been made in Tadami Town for a long time . It is said to have gotten its name from the flat bowl in which it is served. Ohira is a stew dish made with an abundance of produce from the river, mountains, and sea.

• River delicacies: Grilled and dried minnows (freshwater fish) whose bellies have turned red during spawning season
• Mountain delicacy: Maitake mushrooms
• Seafood: Kelp

Root vegetables and deep-fried tofu are also added. There are rules for how the dish is presented, with the top layer being layered so that the dried minnow is visible.

Ohira is a refined dish that brings out the flavor of precious preservatives. It also has excellent nutritional balance, making it an essential dish for maintaining health in winter.

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[Crunchy] Plenty of delicious flavor from a wide variety of chopped ingredients

Zakuzaku is a local dish that has been popular in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture since the Edo period . One theory is that the name comes from the sound "zakuzaku" made when dicing ingredients. It Kozuyu , but there are differences, such as Kozuyu using a scallop-based broth, while Zakuzaku uses a dried sardine-based broth.

Zakuzaku is also characterized by the wide variety of ingredients used, including taro, carrots, burdock, konjac, dried shiitake mushrooms, and more. Everything must be cut into uniform cubes, so the preparation requires patience. Although it takes time, the complex flavors of the various ingredients blend together to give the broth a rich, deep flavor. It is a dish that is both simple and gorgeous, and perfectly captures the cheerfulness of New Year's in Fukushima.

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Enjoy New Year's in Fukushima

This time we introduced traditional New Year's dishes from Fukushima.

Traditional local cuisine is packed with wisdom for everyday life. In particular, New Year's dishes eaten on special occasions are likely to have been made with great skill and with feelings of wishing for happiness.

This coming New Year, why not celebrate the start of a new year with food packed with Fukushima's wisdom and bounty?

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