Spring rolls, and chicken are all dishes that almost every house has during the upcoming Lunar New Year. However, to balance your diet and be healthy, you should still add some other foods to your New Year meal. Let’s explore the new year’s foods in this article!
Contents
Sushi
The main ingredients of sushi include seaweed, rice, vegetables, and fresh foods (such as shrimp, fish, and other seafood) with a fermented soy sauce combined with ginger and spicy mustard. With only a very small portion compared to the usual, we can make the body have obvious changes to the body of the person who eats it.
Sushi is made from a special type of sticky rice originating from Japan. This rice is extremely low in fat (the diet team loves this), has no sodium, and has a large number of synthetic carbohydrates. Therefore, it can provide the body with a very rich source of energy.
In addition, other fresh foods in sushi such as fish, shrimp, and seafood are also a source of protein, and abundant and healthy energy for the body (the diet team likes this). These are foods that are rich in energy and Omega-3 but contain very little fat.
Seaweed leaves (a common ingredient when eating Japanese sushi rice) contain a lot of vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin B complex, and vitamin C. Besides, the vegetables, and tubers in this dish are also the main ingredients in this dish. is a source of diverse and good vitamins for the body.
Therefore, it is not only good for health, good for digestion, but also very good for beauty. According to many culinary experts, sushi is an ideal dish in terms of nutrition, healthy, and ease of digestion. The reason is that the food to make this dish is very fresh, not soaked with flavors or additives harmful to health.
In addition, the type of soy sauce made specifically for sushi has the main ingredient of soybeans or red apples. It’s a source of high-quality protein, low in saturated fat, and cholesterol-free. It has the potential to reduce the risk of breast cancer and premenstrual symptoms.
In addition, ginger and mustard in the sauce have good effects on digestion and fight harmful bacteria in meat and fish. Not only that, but this dish also has a very special effect on the spirit. our. It helps stimulate the brain to release dopamine and norepinephrine, helping to keep the mind sharp, and less prone to depression. Sushi is also listed one of the top 10 favourite foods in the world.
History of Sushi food
The earliest form of sushi, a dish today known as narezushi, can be traced back to the rice paddies along the Mekong River in Southeast Asia. The archetypal narezushi are created by fermenting fish with salt and rice to control the fermentation process.
Stretching south down the Mekong, narezushi then enters Austronesian. In Japan, the distribution of the dish overlaps with the introduction of wet rice farming during the Yayoi period.
Narezushi appears in Chinese dictionaries in the 2nd century AD as the character sa (鮓, salted fish with salt and rice), during the Han expansion south of the Yangtze River, receiving food from the non-Han ethnic group.
The Japanese like to eat fish with rice, called namanare or namanari (生成, なまなれ, なま, semi-fermented). During the Muromachi period, namanare was the most popular type of sushi. Namanare is a portion of raw fish wrapped in rice, which is consumed fresh, before it changes flavor. This new way of consuming fish is no longer a form of preservation but a new addition to Japanese cuisine.
During the Edo period, a third type of sushi was developed, haya-zushi (早鮨寿司,, fast sushi). Haya-zushi is assembled so that both rice and fish can be consumed at the same time, and the dish becomes unique to Japanese culture.
This is the first time that rice has not been used for fermentation. The rice is now mixed with vinegar, with fish, vegetables and dry food added. This type of sushi is still very popular today. Each region uses local flavors to produce a variety of sushi that has been passed down through generations.
Today’s nigirizushi style (にぎり), consisting of a small rectangular rice ball with a slice of fish or other seafood on top, became popular in Edo (contemporary Tokyo) in the 1820s or 1830s. A story Popularity about the origins of nigirizushi is about chef Hanaya Yohei (1799–1858), who invented or perfected the technique in 1824 at his shop in Ryōgoku.
After the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, nigirizushi chefs were relocated from Edo across Japan, popularizing the dish across the country. Later, the Japanese could make nigiri with tamago or cooked seafood by heating the fish or seafood with a torch, adding sauce to suit the taste of the user. There are also some types of nigiri for vegetarians such as using cucumbers, mushrooms, avocados, etc.
The earliest reference to sushi in Japan appears in 718 in the Yōrō Code (律令 Yōrō-ritsuryō). As an example of the tax paid by actual items, it is written as “雑 (about 64 liters of zakonosushi or zatsunosushi?)”. However, there is no way to know what this “sushi” is or even how it is pronounced. In the 9th and 10th centuries, “” and “” were read as “sushi”. This “Sushi” was similar to today’s narezushi.
Over the next 800 years, until the early 19th century, sushi gradually changed and Japanese cuisine changed as well. The Japanese began to eat three meals a day, rice was boiled instead of steamed, and of great importance, was the development of rice vinegar.
While sushi continued to be produced by fermenting fish with rice, the addition of rice vinegar greatly reduced the fermentation time and the rice used began to be eaten with the fish. During the Muromochi period (1336 to 1573), the oshizushi production process was gradually developed wherein fermentation was abandoned and vinegar was used.
In the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573–1603), namanare was invented. A 1603 Japanese-Portuguese dictionary has an entry for sushi namanrina, which literally means half sushi. Namanare is fermented for a shorter time than narezushi and can be seasoned with rice vinegar. It still has the typical narezushi smell.
The smell of narezushi can be one of the reasons to shorten and eventually skip the fermentation process. It is often described as “a cross between blue cheese, fish and rice vinegar”. A story from the Konjaku Monogatarishū written in the early 12th century makes it clear that it is not an appealing smell, even if it tastes good: In the early 18th century, oshizushi was perfected in Osaka, and it arrived in Edo in the mid-18th century.
These sushi were sold to customers, but because they still needed some fermentation time, the shops hung a notice and poster for customers to come to eat sushi. . Sushi is also sold near a park during the hanami period and a theater in the form of a bento. Inarizushi is sold along with oshizushi. Makizushi and chirashizushi became popular during the Edo period.
There are three famous sushi restaurants in Edo, Matsunozushi (松之), Yoheizushi (興兵衛) and Kenukizushi (ぬきずし) but there are thousands more sushi restaurants. They were established over a period of nearly twenty years in the early 19th century.
Nigirizushi was an instant hit and it spread through Edo like wildfire. In the book Morisadamanko (謾) published in 1852, the author writes that for a given section (100 meters by 100 meters or 10,000 square meters) of Edo there are one or two sushi restaurants, but only one soba restaurant to find. see in 1 or 2 for. This means there are almost 2 sushi restaurants for each soba restaurant.
This early nigirizushi was nothing like today’s varieties. Fish meat is marinated in soy sauce or vinegar or heavy salt so there is no need to dip it in soy sauce. Some of the fish was pre-cooked before being put into the sushi. This is partly unnecessary as there is no refrigerator. Each piece was also larger, roughly the size of two pieces of sushi today.
The advent of modern refrigeration has allowed sushi made from raw fish to reach more consumers than ever before. The late 20th century saw sushi gain in popularity worldwide.
Meaning of the name “Sushi”
Originally, sushi was called Sumeshi, derived from “Meshi”: mixed rice and “Su”: vinegar. Over time, the word “me” gradually disappeared and only Sushi remained as the current name. Thus, in a simple way, sushi is rice mixed with vinegar but indispensable seafood and accompanying ingredients. Many people often confuse sushi and sashimi because these two dishes use raw fish as ingredients, but these are two completely different dishes.
Sushi is often used as the main dish with rice with fish placed on top, combined with salted eggs or some vegetables. Meanwhile, sashimi is often chosen as a side dish with sliced fish or seafood. While sushi is a combination of many elements that make up a dish that encapsulates Japanese culture, sashimi is about the sophistication and pure taste of each ingredient. Sushi is one of the most amazing new year’s foods for sure.
Soba
History of Soba noodles
Regarding the formation of soba noodles, the soba plant has been cultivated since the Jomon period around the 16th to 17th centuries. The history of Soba noodles is very long, the Soba plant has been cultivated in Japan since the Jomon period. In the Kamakura period, the mill was imported to Japan from China, making it easy to grind Soba flour, and since then, Soba noodles have been widely used.
It is thought that the method of making noodles (Sobakiri) eaten as it is today dates back to the late 16th to early 17th centuries. Soba noodles have come to life as Hikkoshisoba (Moving house Soba), Nenkoshisoba (New Year’s Day Soba). In the Edo period, in addition to the established Soba noodle restaurants, the type of Soba noodles sold at nighttime outdoor eateries were also served a lot.
There are also many points of interest in the way people in the Edo period used Soba noodles. For example, when eating Morisoba noodles, they just dip a little bit at the top of the noodles with the sauce, then put it in their mouths without chewing and swallowing.
This is the way to enjoy the original taste of Soba, and is considered an elegant way to enjoy. Soba noodles favored by Edo people have become deeply embedded in Japanese people’s lives such as Hikkoshisoba, when people move house, in order to strengthen friendship, they bring Soba noodles every day. nearest neighborhood, or Nenkoshisoba is eaten on New Year’s Day.
Meaning of Soba in New Year
The culture of enjoying soba noodles on New Year’s Eve in Japan is said to have the following meanings:
Since the soba plant (buckwheat) is a thin and elongated plant, soba noodles should be eaten to pray for health, longevity and good fortune in the family.
Because soba is easy to cut, the Japanese believe that eating soba noodles before the transition to the new year cuts off all the hardships of the old year and welcomes a new year with lots of luck.
Since in ancient times, goldsmiths used to use soba powder to collect scattered gold powder, so it is theorized that soba will bring good fortune in money.
Types of Soba
Soba can be served either hot or cold. Here are some of the more common types that travelers will encounter. Note that some dishes are known under different names depending on the region.
Mori/Zaru Soba (cold)
The most basic chilled soba is served alongside a tray with a simple cold sauce (tsuyu). The dip sauce is usually a mixture of stock soup, water, and mirin. There are historical differences between Zaru and Mori soba. However, in recent times, a major difference between the two is that zaru soba has nori seaweed on top of the soba noodles while mori soba does not.
Kitsune Soba (hot/cold)
Kitsune Soba comes with a piece of aburaage, thin fried tofu on top of a bowl of soba noodles. While in Osaka, if you want soba noodles with a piece of aburaage on top, you will have to ask the waiter to change it for you.
Tanuki Soba (hot/cold)
Tanuki Soba is served with a combination of tenkasu and leftover tempura minced meat. In Osaka, the same soba with tenkasu combination is known as Haikara Soba.
Tempura Soba (hot/cold)
This type of soba has a portion of tempura on the side or on top of your bowl of noodles. There are usually three to five different types of tempura, and the ingredients vary depending on the store. Noodles are served on a tray (as shown on the photo) or in a soup.
Tsukimi Soba (hot)
The literal translation of Tsukimi is “watching the moon” and thus Tsukimi Soba has a raw egg on top of the noodle bowl, which is considered to be the same as the moon.
Tororo Soba (hot/cold)
Tororo is a white, sticky cream resembling raw lean nagaimo (yam). It is usually placed on top of a bowl of soba noodles or served as a side dish if requested.
Nanban Soba (hot)
Nanban Soba is often combined with a broth with added muki. Most nanban soba have chicken or duck in the broth, for example Tori Nanban Soba (chicken) and Kamo Nanban Soba (Duck).
Ozoni
Ozoni is one of the New Year’s foods, this is a soup and is an indispensable ingredient in their New Year’s Eve meal. Each ingredient in the dish has a meaning of good luck and good luck.
When the old year is coming to an end and the new year is coming, Japanese people are often busy preparing for oshogatsu by cleaning the house, buying food, and preparing food for the period. New Year’s holiday, prepare to return home to reunite with family or go on a luxury trip abroad with loved ones. Among the various delicacies eaten during oshogatsu, there is a rather special dish called ozoni (お雑煮), which is a soup containing mochi and other varied ingredients. Depending on the region, local ozoni will have a slightly different appearance and taste.
The first time ozoni was mentioned was in the Muromachi period, when the word “ozoni” appeared in the “Suzuka Kaki” (鈴鹿家記), a record of the noble Suzuka family that lived in Kyoto. Ozoni was formerly known as houzou (烹雑), which is said to be a dish that originated in samurai families and spread to the lower classes later. In samurai families, ozoni is not exactly the main dish, but is considered a side dish to accompany alcohol at parties.
To this day, Ozoni is a Japanese New Year soup and an indispensable ingredient in the New Year’s meal. Each ingredient in the dish carries the meaning of good luck and good fortune.
History of Ozoni
There are no accepted theories about the history of Ozoni, but the first mention of the dish was in the Muromachi period (1300-1500), when the word “Ozoni” appeared in the “Suzuka Kaki”, a chronicle. about the noble Suzuka family that lived in Kyoto.
Ozoni was formerly known as “Houzou”, which is said to be a dish that originated in Samurai families and spread to the commoners later. In Samurai families, Ozoni is not exactly the main dish, but is considered an appetizer to accompany alcohol at parties. Then gradually later, the Japanese maintain the tradition of eating this soup on New Year’s Day.
Ozoni dishes are prepared with a variety of regional and local characteristics. For example, in some places, people use Sumashi-jiru (clear soup) made from Kombu soup (cooked from kelp) and a few other ingredients. Some regions cook Ozoni with Shiromiso and Dashi (light brown Miso soup). More specifically, some places even make broth from squid, flying fish, puffer fish, salted salmon, dried shrimp and other fish and seafood.
The ingredients in Ozoni vary widely depending on different geographical and cultural regions. However, wherever it is, Mochi is still kept as the main ingredient. People who only change the ingredients, such as in areas near the sea, will have a variety of seafood added to Ozoni, like Hokkaido’s version of Ozoni filled with salmon roe. In contrast, with inland areas, people tend to use a variety of vegetables and local agricultural products.
In addition, unique foods “only available here” will be added in Ozoni. The side ingredients can also be grilled instead of boiled, or the ingredients can be cut into square or round shapes. Therefore, there are many interesting and characteristic versions of Ozoni all over Japan.
Meaning of Ozoni
Each ingredient used to make ozoni dishes has its own meaning of luck and good wishes to the eater. For example, mochi means longevity, representing longevity and longevity, chicken tori means effort and success, and other ingredients in the dish also mean good luck and success. wish for a bountiful harvest.
Ozoni is made from ingredients that carry the meaning of luck and good wishes. The Japanese believe that eating this dish on the first day of the year will bring good luck. Therefore, ozoni has become an indispensable traditional dish in the table of Japanese families on every New Year’s Eve.
Osechi
Osechi is a one of New Year foods celebration. This tradition dates back to the Heian period (794-1185). The difference of Osechi from normal dishes is that it is served in a special box, called Juukako.
In fact, the original meaning of Osechi is a dish that helps housewives have luck in the first days of the new year. Osechi has a few dozen dishes made according to a very elaborate New Year menu in a multi-tiered box called Jubako.
The factor that makes Osechi special is that despite the centuries, the dishes have remained unchanged. However, depending on the region, the number of Osechi dishes will be arranged differently to match the traditions of each locality.
The taste of Osechi dishes is very special because it is both salty and sweet and is stored in the refrigerator for use in 3 days of New Year.
History of Osechi
Originally, osechi was called o-sechi where o is an honorific prefix and sechi (節: period) is a season. According to the ancient calendar, a year has five (5) sekku (節句: period sentence) and the Lunar New Year, which was imported from China, is one. During the three days of the New Year, the Japanese believe that they must eat nutritious foods with auspicious signs. Except for zoni, which must boil the broth, the other dishes are served cold to reduce cooking.
Even more ancient, osechi only served as nimono, vegetables boiled in soy sauce mixed with sugar or mirin. As time passed, the number of dishes in the osechi meal kept increasing. Today, osechi includes many special dishes, which are further divided into seiyō-osechi (西洋お節: Western and Western dishes) and chōsen no osechi (朝鮮のお節: Korean dishes). It is true that osechi is a home-cooked meal prepared for the New Year, but now many shops, including 7-Eleven, are available for sale in beautiful, convenient boxes that customers only buy to open and eat.
Usually Japanese families cook toshi-koshi soba (年越し蕎麦: buckwheat, literally “to the new year”) on New Year’s Eve. Long noodles imply longevity and fullness. They avoid leaving even a single piece of noodle behind because it is a bad omen for the new year. In fact, this noodle dish is easy to cook so that housewives have the opportunity to rest their hands. On the first day of the new year, the whole family opens the osechi casket to enjoy the special meal of the three traditional New Year days.
Meaning of Osechi
Each dish in the osechi meal has a special meaning to welcome the new year. Eg:
Daidai (means “orange” and also means “bitter”): Japanese bitter orange dish. Daidai is actually a play on words because it is homophonous with 代々: dai, meaning “eternal”. Orange dish is to express the eternal will of a family.
Datemaki (means “roll”): omelette rolled with fish sauce or mashed shrimp. This is a play of the homonyms “date/y” 伊 and “y” 衣 which means “clothes”, with the wish to wish for splendid clothes.
Kamaboko (蒲鉾: mimosa): boiled fish cake. This is fish puree, boiled and cut into pieces. This fish cake is usually dyed pink outside, white inside, so when cut, it shows both colors. In the osechi casket, the kamaboko is arranged artfully in layers.
Kazunoko: herring roe dish. Kazu means “number” and “ko” means “child”. This dish symbolizes the wishes of children and grandchildren.
Kuro-mame (黒豆: black beans), black soybeans. Mame also means “healthy”, symbolizing health wishes for the new year.
Kohaku-namasu (紅白なます: white persimmon – -), means “white cantaloupe vegetables”. This dish is sliced carrots and radishes, soaked in vinegar in yuzu tangerine juice (a hybrid of tangerine and lemon). The two colors white and red for the Japanese are two traditional colors that represent the joy of harmonizing yin and yang and two qi.
Tai (鯛: condor), conch fish. The ear sound here uses a hint of medetai (めでたい) which means welcome. The fish itself is also a symbol of auspiciousness. The Japanese often buy this fish on aspirational occasions.
Tazukuri (田作り: farming -): dried sardines braised in soy sauce. When written in kanji, the dish means “farming”. For farmers, this is a wish to have a good harvest.
Zōni (雑煮): a thick cake soup, similar to Korean tteokguk or Vietnamese vegetarian cake, but salty because it’s cooked with broth or miso.
Ebi (エビ), shrimp rimmed with sake and soy sauce.
Nishiki tamago (錦卵: mundane): an omelette rolled up but with the whites coated separately, the yolks coated separately and then rolled. Yellow and white represent gold and silver, wishing you a lot of money.
Twelve Grapes
On New Year’s Eve, Spaniards will watch a broadcast from Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square or gather in front of the clock tower to celebrate the new year. Wherever they are, everyone will participate in a special tradition. At midnight, every time the clock rings, they will eat a grape. This custom dates back to the early 20th century and was devised by grape producers in the south of the country in the hope of a bountiful harvest.
Meaning of Twelve Grapes
On New Year’s Eve, every member of the Spanish family gathers together, through singing and games to congratulate each other. When the first bell rang at midnight, which was also the time to turn to the new year, everyone immediately scrambled to eat grapes.
On New Year’s Eve, Spaniards usually eat 12 grapes – one must be eaten for each bell that rings. Each grape represents a good luck for a month in the coming year.
In Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities, people often gather in the main squares to eat grapes. If you can eat 12 grapes at the same time as the 12 bell rings, you will be lucky because during the 12 months of the year everything will be as desired.
Nearly 80% of the “lucky grapes” are grown in the Vinalopó valley on the Mediterranean coast. It is a light green Aledo grape with a lot of flesh, sweet aroma. Slow-ripening berries are not harvested until November or December.
Each bunch of ripe grapes is wrapped in paper bags from about June, July until ripe. This method, used since the late 19th century, not only protects them from diseases caused by moths, but also helps preserve flavor, aroma, color and slow ripening.
Furthermore, this results in a much finer skin than regular grapes, as they are not affected by wind, rain or sunlight. This smooth crust will help us eat faster and with less chewing.
Especially when each ring is rushed after each other, this smooth shell also makes a noticeable difference. It’s not easy to eat 12 grapes quickly with 3 or 4 seeds each, so people sell a lot of small boxes with 12 peeled and seeded grapes. However, the simplest way to eat all 12 fruits quickly is not to chew, just bite and swallow the shell and seeds.
Not only do they gobble up grapes in the middle of the night, they also wear red underwear such as underwear, bras or even red socks. The most interesting thing is that this item has to be received from someone else.
Don’t forget a third custom, said Mary, a salesman, that is equally as fascinating as eating grapes and wearing red underwear when coming here: putting a gold ring in a glass of cava (foam champagne) . But remember not to drink it whole, or this will bring bad luck.
When the clock strikes 12 and the last grapes are gone, it’s time for everyone to kiss each other on the cheek, congratulate each other with glasses of cava and eat turrón.
Final thought
Not only do these foods bring happiness and joy to New Year, but they are also tasty and profoundly traditional, these new year’s foods have become a yearly ritual to many people around the world.
Top News hopes this article can help you learn more about new year’s foods and wishes you all the best on New Year celebration!