New Year Food

New year is the time when Japanese hope next year better then last year. New year identically with party and gathering. To celebrate new year, they make special food for new year.

In December, Japanese make mochi – made from rice flour. There are steamed mochi, baked mochi, fried mochi, mochi soup, etc

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mochi

In the middle of December, Japanese do “bounenka”, a ritual which they go to gathering and have meal together and drink to forget all bad things during last year.

In December 31^st, Japanese eat soba – Japan noodle.

soba

At night before 00.00, they gather in front of big box and pray. This ritual – in the past – was throw a coin inside the box. Some of them also go to Fujisan (Fuji Mountain) to see new year sunrise called hatsu-hinode. When sun appear, they pray to Amaterasu (sun god).

After praying, they gather with their family and eat “Osechi ryori”, there is a food which is difficult to spoiled even kept days without warming. Now, Osechi ryori already sell in store with price about ¥10.000.

osechi ryori

Osechi ryori which served in box (jubako) has three until five kind of foods. Some of them are kuromame (sweet black soybean), date maki (sweet roll omelette egg), kurikinton (potato and sweet beans), tazukuri (dry sardines teriyaki), kobu maki (rolled konbu with fish), and kinpira gobo. These foods are decorated beautifully and sweet tastes. Why? Because Japanese have belief that if they eat beautiful and sweet foods, they life next year will be better than last year.