At our dinner table to welcome the New Year, my friendAyako Matsui・Nanako MatsuiWe enjoyed the Osechi New Year's dishes lovingly prepared by the sisters' mother, Keiko, along with our family's Ozoni soup, and raised a toast with fine sake!
Osechi ryori, like Japanese kaiseki cuisine, is a course meal and is broadly divided into five types: "celebratory dishes," "appetizers," "grilled dishes," "vinegared dishes," and "simmered dishes," each with its own auspicious meaning!
The number of dishes typically ranges from 20 to 30, and making each and every one of them is an extremely difficult task!
However, I've always disliked the Osechi ryori (New Year's dishes) that are generally sold in stores because they tend to be too salty or too sweet. I used to remember helping my grandmother, who was a great cook, when she would stand alone in the kitchen at the end of the year, busily preparing the dishes, and I would often help her, including acting as a taste tester. So lately, I've been making them myself more often!
Around that time, the Matsui family's New Year's dishes, which were posted on social media every year, were always beautifully balanced, and the mother's elegant, subtly flavored New Year's dishes were very appealing. So this year, we were incredibly fortunate to receive a share of them thanks to the mother's generosity!
Osechi ryori (New Year's dishes) are generally packed in tiered boxes, symbolizing the accumulation of happiness, but in our family, we use boxes made by our favorite ceramic artist from Toyama,Gaku ShakunagaLet's serve it in this dish and celebrate the New Year while enjoying it with our eyes as well!
"Osechi Ryori" × "Mt. Sukunaga âge large plate Φ32”
Roasted pork, pounded burdock root, layered egg omelet, rolled omelet, red and white fish cake, teriyaki yellowtail, chicken wrapped in kelp, Yawata roll, herring roe, pickled lotus root, candied sardines, grilled shrimp, red and white pickled daikon radish (served in yuzu citrus), pickled daikon radish, red and white quail eggs, whelk, black beans, chestnut paste, and simmered vegetables!
Every dish is made with great care and effort, so with each bite, I savor every single flavor with gratitude!
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the dishes, which evoked a sense of nostalgia, were low in salt and not too sweet—a meal that truly nourished our bodies!
"Assorted sashimi" ×Mt. Sukunaga Reversible stone plate Φ31"
Served with lean tuna, yellowtail, amberjack, squid, salmon, sweet shrimp, Hokkaido salmon roe, myoga ginger, shiso leaves, and seaweed!
"Ozoni" × "Mt. Sukunaga gen thin bowl Φ22"
The ingredients include freshly pounded mochi rice cakes, daikon radish, turnips, potatoes, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, mizuna greens, and spinach. Each ingredient is blanched separately to allow the flavors to permeate, then arranged in a bowl, and a clear bonito broth-based soup is poured over it while it's still piping hot!
"Spinach with sesame dressing" ×Mt. Sukunaga gen thin bowl Φ18"
Simmer briefly in bonito broth, squeeze out the excess water, chop roughly, and dress with plenty of ground sesame seeds!
"Napa cabbage white kimchi, cucumber pickled in Anan Valley" ×Mt. Sukunaga Blue and white thin bowl Φ18"
Our family's favorite easy homemade kimchi is made by lightly rubbing shredded napa cabbage, carrots, and myoga ginger with salt, adding chili peppers and kelp, and using white kimchi base! Cucumbers are simply sliced diagonally into four-leaf cucumbers, rubbed with salt, and pickled in "Anan Valley Soy Sauce (light)" made with "Anan Valley Sacred Water," which is considered sacred water in Toyama! Because the clusters of Nan Valley Sacred Water are fine and it absorbs water quickly, the pickles are ready in half a day!
"Aramasa Colors Junmai Ruri Lapis Lazuli (Lapis Lazuli) Nakadori 2017" ×Mt. Sukunaga "The cup for drinking too much"
The celebratory drink was a "Kappo" (traditional Japanese restaurant) drink for the housewarming party. Benichi"ofJunichi SuzukiI received this from Mr./Ms. Akita City, Akita PrefectureAramasa Sake BreweryLet's toast with the rare and limited-edition sake "Aramasa Colors Junmai Ruri Lapis Lazuli Nakadori 2017" produced by [brewery name]!
Wrapped in light-blocking sheets, it exudes a sense of exclusivity!
Once you remove it, it reveals a beautiful lapis lazuli blue label!
This classic junmai sake is made with 100% "Miyama Nishiki" rice from Akita Prefecture, offering a refreshing and refined taste!
Although it is a junmai sake, it is made to junmai ginjo standards, with the koji rice milled to 40% and the main rice milled to 50%, resulting in a light and refreshing sake that beautifully expresses the characteristics of the rice!
My first impression was simply, "Delicious!"
It has a smooth mouthfeel, but the subtle acidity gives it an impressive flavor that almost feels salty. The slight effervescence is also a plus, and it has a powerful, substantial umami flavor that you can really enjoy!
Located in Mori TownIshida Chaya"That's her mother, Keiko, who comes from the family home!"
As a New Year's greeting, I received "Fragrant Flavor Tradition Premium Tea, Lucky Charm Sencha (Miyama)"!
In winter, nothing beats a comforting cup of Japanese tea!
Thanks to my foodie friends, I was able to encounter some delicious treats right at the start of New Year's Day, making for a truly blissful start to the year! Thank you as always!
Well, we are currently hosting a ceramics exhibition by Toyama-based ceramic artist Gaku Shakunaga at our home!
Reservations are required, but we hold sessions regularly, so if you have the time and are interested, please feel free to contact us! We hope you continue to have a wonderful New Year!
Takeshi Shakunaga Ceramic Art Exhibition
Location: My home near Lake Sanaru in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture
Held regularly: Reservations are accepted via Facebook message!
Works: Over 20 pieces will be on display, including the flagship product "âge" (orders accepted).
