Along with the many Japanese customs observed during the
New Year - which many in the 50th still follow such as placing a kadomatsu
near the home entrance, stacking the kagami mochi topped with a
tangerine and consuming ozoni as the first meal of the New Year – many
in the Motherland also partake in osechi ryori during the first 3 days
of the New Year. Because cooking or lighting the kitchen hearth was forbidden
during the first 3 days of the New Year other than to prepare ozoni, osechi
ryori was prepared in the days leading up to New Year’s Day to last
families for 3 days. And because refrigeration wasn’t readily available in most
homes, osechi ryori cuisine was either heavily salted or sweetened or
pickled to make it safe to consume over those 3 days. And creating meals to
last over 3 days was no simple task, therefore even those in the Motherland
usually resort to purchased foods. In the 50th, traditional osechi
ryori cuisine isn’t a tradition in most households and for those who do
partake, we usually resort to purchased foods from the local Marukai Wholesale
Mart which along with individual items also offer a 3-tiered, lacquered box
with traditional osechi ryori for $199. And several years ago, we did splurge
for a 3-tiered jubako (lacquered bento box) from the old
Shirokiya for about $100 and it only fed the three of us for a day. Not a good
way to start the New Year already several hundred dollars in the hole!
Mixed Traditions
Since my parents were a mix of nisei and sansei,
many of the original translations of Oshogatsu customs were mixed in
their intent. While we did sip scalding hot, insipid cooking sake at the
stroke of midnight to prevent illness in the New Year, we also followed many
other “traditional” Japanese customs simply for the sake that it “was” a New
Year’s tradition. Like consuming kazunoko or herring roe during the New
Year. My parents never could answer why it was a tradition, but I also
continued consuming both kazunoko and shishamo (capelin fish
filled with roe) until I realized it symbolized fertility in the New Year.
Nope, didn’t want that years ago and especially now since I’m approaching that
6th decade of existence. Or the traditional hekka on the Eve
which I realized was simply a local 50th tradition at most parties.
And once the New Year started, Dad always said we had to discard any kadomatsu
and kagami mochi as keeping it around during the New Year brought bad
luck to the household. I later discovered that kadomatsu are usually
kept until January 7th (or the 15th in the Edo period)
when they are burned to release the ancestral spirits that take residence
during the changing of the year. And kagami mochi are usually kept until
the 2nd Saturday or Sunday of the New Year when they are broken and
consumed (kagami biraki). Of course, with the temperate climate in the
50th, even semi dried mochi start developing multiple colored
“beards” by the 2nd or 3rd.
And Obaachan and Dad always said that because the
changing of the year unsettled time, they never wanted us to travel on the 31st
as we would be more likely to get into an accident due to this unsettled
time-space continuum or something like that so we always spent the Eve at home.
And once the New Year arrived, Dad always instructed us not to spend money or
we’d end up spending money the rest of the year. He also told Mom not to cook
or clean or she’d end up cooking and cleaning the rest of the year though Mom
always ignored him telling him someone had to cook and clean for the remainder
of the year and she knew it wouldn’t be Dad.
My Own Traditions
I still indulge in a bowl of toshi-koshi soba
before the clock strikes midnight though initially didn’t know the actual
significance of the tradition as many families simply consume a bowl of saimin.
Because soba is a softer noodle that breaks easily, consuming a bowl before the
New Year breaks any bad luck of the current year that you don’t want to carry
over into the New Year. And believe me, the Tatsumoto’s experienced quite a bit
issues that we’d like to leave with 2019. I also steep o-toso herbs in a
bottle of sake about 2 weeks before the New Year as o-toso is the
traditional spiced sake that’s supposed to prevent illness in the New
Year. I was fortunate to find “teabags” containing the cinnamon, sansho
pepper, ginger and other herbs I never heard of like kikyo and okera
at Shirokiya many years ago. Once Shirokiya folded, I found another source at
Marukai (I purchased about 10 bags and keep it in my freezer).
I also prep most of my ozoni the day before with
the same seven ingredients; thin slices of mizuna, daikon, shiitake,
enoki mushrooms, hasu and carrots with a broth made from dashi
konbu and bonito flakes that’s steeped for about 30 minutes. That way, on
the morning of the New Year, I simply have to reheat the broth (I add canned
scallops instead of hokkigai since hokkigai often has to be
cleaned of “critters”) then add the veggies and mochi. Especially since
knife skills aren’t peaking after just a couple of hours of sleep and more than
a wee bit of Champagne and sake still probably coursing through my
bloodstream.
And though I don’t prep the full 3 days’ worth of osechi
ryori meals, I still indulge in kuromame and konbu maki. I
previously would simply purchase containers at either Shirokiya then Marukai
but like their jubako boxed versions, are very expensive. Therefore, for
the past 10 years or so, I’ve been making them on my own as the raw materials
aren’t anywhere near as expensive and only take a little time either pressure
cooking or simmering. Okay, $3.49 for 10 pieces of pre-tied dried konbu maki
isn’t cheap but tying rehydrated, slippery pieces of konbu isn’t an easy
chore and well worth the cost in additional labor and it’s still a lot cheaper
than packaged, pre-cooked konbu maki for $6 to $7.
Kuromame
(black soybeans)
4 cups water
1 cup sugar
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 packages kuromame (about 2 cups)
One clean old nail if available
Diced dried konbu and/or chestnuts (optional)
I found this recipe in the original Honpa Hongwanji
series of cookbooks which called for soaking overnight then a 5-hour simmer and
the addition of the nail help to set a darker black color of the kuromame.
I’ve never added the nail since City Mill doesn’t sell “food grade” nails. I
chose the modern route and place everything in a pressure cooker including the
dried kuromame and pressure cooker for 60 to 90 minutes then let it
naturally cool to room temperature before opening the pressure cooker.
Konbu Maki
4 packages of Marukai Quickie Nishime Konbu
2 cups water
1 & 1/4 cups soy sauce
1 cup sugar
1 small piece ginger root, crushed
Though most local versions of konbu maki are
rolled around gobo and pork, this is the osechi ryori version
which is meant to last with minimal refrigeration (though I take advantage of
modern technology). Place all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil then
reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for about 2 hours.
The Year Before
“THE” Year
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