Japanese New-Year count down (-3)

Let’s continue our walk to the Japanese New Year meal with fishcake. That’s not a dessert :

Just slice and alternate. They look good… but they are not full of flavors. There are tasty kamaboko, but they don’t look so nice….

Read more.

Osechi 4 : kohaku kamaboko fish cakes

Like most people, I bought them this time.

They are kamaboko (fish cakes), blocks of steamed fish flesh. In the past, when there was no refrigeration, making kamaboko was a way to keep fresh fish a little longer. There exist hundreds of variations. In the West, the word surimi is well known, but that means pounded flesh and what is sold as surimi in Japan tends to be the raw flesh. Cooked items have other names.

For Osechi, it’s common to mix white and red. The kohaku auspiscious colors.
It’s pink not red ? Technically yes, but in the past Japanese language considered aka (ko) as one color that contained red and pink.

Just slice and alternate. They look good… but they are not full of flavors. There are tasty kamaboko, but they don’t look so nice.

As you see, they are imprinted with auspicious good luck kanji… not sure which way to place them.

Osechi ryori compilation

Osechi Compilation : Opening the boxes

Osechi Ryori is Japanese good luck food for the NewYear

NB : click on the text not the photos

For more Japanese New Year traditions click here.

Photo menu :

the lacquer box
the Osechi menu 2011
kuri kinton
kuro mame

Osechi 1 : kazu no ko
Osechi 2 : kintoki ninjin and daikon for namasu
Osechi 3 : building a rice paddy
Osechi 4 : kohaku kamaboko fish cakes
Osechi 5 : chicken matsukaze
Osechi 6 : the vegetable box
Osechi 7 : tamago mosaic

omedetai (lucky grilled fish)