Kuromame are Japanese black beans cooked in sweet syrup. It is a part of Osechi Ryori, the traditional Japanese new year feast. There are a lot of kinds of dishes for Osechi, but Kuromame is one of the big three celebration dishes, along with Tazukuri (candied dried anchovies) and Kazunoko (herring roe). Sweet Kuromame is a nice complement to a lot of the other saltier dishes in Osechi.
Kazunoko is salted herring roe that has been marinated in seasoned Dashi. It is a part of Osechi Ryori, the traditional Japanese New Year feast. There are many kinds of dishes for Osechi Ryori, but Kazunoko is one of the big three celebration dishes, along with Kuromame (sweet black beans) and Tazukuri.
Tazukuri is dried small sardines (called Gomame) cooked in sugar and soy sauce. It is a part of Osechi Ryori, the traditional Japanese new year feast. There are a lot of kinds of dishes for Osechi Ryori, but Tazukuri is one of the big three celebration dishes, along with Kuromame (sweet black beans) and Kazunoko (herring roe).
Dashimaki Tamago is rolled pan fried eggs just like Tamagoyaki (rolled omelette). The cooking and rolling technique to make Dashimaki is exactly the same as Tamagoyaki, but the ingredients and flavor are a little different. Like Tamagoyaki, it is another staple dish for breakfast and Bento lunch boxes
Namasu is a kind of Sunomono that is often a part of Osechi Ryouri (Japanese New Year cuisine). There are a lot of kinds of Namasu, but here we made the most typical one: red and white Namasu. The red is carrot and the white is Daikon radish, both pickled in sweet vinegar. There are meanings to each dish in Osechi Ryouri, mostly for happiness and good health for a whole year. Red and white are the colors of celebration in Japan, so it is the perfect color combination to celebrate a new year.
Chikuzenni (筑前煮) is a mix of vegetables such as Renkon (lotus root) and carrots, Konnyaku and chicken boiled in strongly flavored broth with soy sauce and sugar. The dish is originally from the southern part of Japan, in the Fukuoka region of Kyushu island, however, it has spread all over Japan.
Ozoni (お雑煮) is a special soup with Mochi (rice cake) in it that you eat in the morning on New Year’s Day in Japan. We decorate the house with Mochi to dedicate to the New Year, and eat it to celebrate and hope for a good year. We have a big meal called Osechi along with Ozoni, but we’ll talk about that some other time.