In addition to being broadly divided into Kanto and Kansai styles, each region has its own unique way of making ozoni. Let us introduce you to a number of unique local recipes.
Kanto Style
Put dashi in a pot over medium heat, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and add chicken, shiitake mushrooms, aona leaves, and carrots. When the ingredients are cooked, add soy sauce, cooking sake, and salt to taste. Meanwhile, grill the mochi until golden brown and place them in a bowl with the kamaboko fish cake. Then, pour in the soup with the ingredients and decorate with mitsuba leaves or peeled yuzu citrus skin to complete the dish.
Kansai Style
Kansai style ozoni is made with white miso paste and has a sweeter flavor than other regions. First, cut satoimo Japanese taro into round slices, place them in a bowl or other container, and rub them with a little salt. Boil the salted taro in boiling water for 3 minutes after that, then remove it to a bowl of water and rinse off the sliminess. Slice daikon and carrot into 5 mm / 0.2" thick round slices, and put them in a pot with soup stock and all the ingredients over medium heat. Finally, dissolve the white miso in the pot, boil the round mochi, and place them in a bowl. Garnish mitsuba leaves on top if you like.
Hokkaido Style
It is made gorgeous by using plenty of Hokkaido's fresh salmon and salmon roe. Boil salmon, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, spinach, and other ingredients in dashi stock. When softened, season with soy sauce, cooking sake, and salt, and serve the soup and ingredients in a bowl with grilled mochi.
Tokai Region / Nagoya style
This is a simple ozoni that uses a green vegetable called mochina as its main ingredient. Here, komatsuna, which are available at Maido, are used instead of mochina. Boil komatsuna in salted water and cut into 5 cm / 2" lengths. Cook the dashi, add soy sauce, sake, and salt to make the soup. Pour into a bowl with boiled mochi and komatsuna. Garnish the bonito flakes on top. You can also add kamaboko fish cakes to add colors to the dish.
Shikoku Region / Kagawa Style
This sweet ozoni is made with white miso soup and mochi with sweet red bean paste. Boil sliced daikon radish and carrots in dashi. When cooked, dissolve the white miso paste and add the mochi with sweet red bean paste. When the mochi becomes soft, transfer it to a bowl and sprinkle aonori seaweed on it if you like.
Kyushu/Hakata Style
This ozoni is a clear soup with yellowtail in it. Heat dashi, add rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms and yellowtail, and simmer. After seasoning with soy sauce, sake, and salt, place the boiled round mochi and komatsuna in a bowl and pour in the soup with the ingredients.
How to make soy sauce flavored ozoni?
Put broth and chicken meat in a pot over medium heat, bring to a boil, and simmer while removing scum. When cooked, add other ingredients and simmer. Season with soy sauce, cooking sake, and salt, and remove from heat. Bake the mochi in a toaster oven for about 5 minutes until they are browned, and serve in a bowl with the soup to complete the dish.
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How to make ozoni easily with shiradashi soup stock?
Put water, shiradashi, usukuchi light color soy sauce, and chicken in a pot and heat over medium heat, bring to a boil, and simmer while removing scum. Once cooked, add the other ingredients and simmer, then remove from heat. Serve with mochi.
How to make ozoni easily with mentsuyu soup stock?
Put water, mentsuyu, and chicken in a pot over medium heat, bring to a boil, and simmer while removing scum. When cooked, add other ingredients and simmer. Serve with mochi.
There are various ways to enjoy mochi! You can grill and eat with soy sauce, seaweed, kinako soybean flour with sugar, or put in oshiruko or zenzai sweet red bean soup. Hope you find your favorite way to enjoy for Japanese New Year!
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There is a lot of food items, housewares, stationery, and gifts available at the store and our online store, Maido! Kairashi Shop, where you can place your order for shipping or store pickup! Happy shopping. :)