A classic New Year's dish with mochi, ozoni. Did you know that the ingredients and methods of making differ depending on the region? I knew it somehow, but I don't have a chance to eat it except for the seasoning I'm used to.


The "Local Zoni Series" sold by Kitagami Foods allows you to easily compare and eat such ozoni from all over Japan. I saw it at Tokyu Hands and was curious, so I bought some. One meal is included, and the price is 700 yen (tax included).

From the 6 types, the author from Kanto chose Iwate's "Kurumi Zoni", Kagoshima's "Yakiebi Zoni", and Kyoto's "White Miso Zoni". Both are a set of retort-type juice and one or two rice cakes, and you can eat them immediately by warming them in a water bath or microwave.




The walnut ozoni, which is said to be handed down in the Miyako region of Iwate, is a soup stock made with soy sauce and plenty of chicken and root vegetables. Furthermore, the biggest feature is that it is eaten with "walnut sauce" that has been melted in soup.



Take the browned rice cake out of the bowl and entangle it in the sauce for a quick bite. The faint sweetness and the aroma of walnuts go great with mochi! It is delicious that you will want to add another mochi.



Next is Kagoshima's "Grilled Shrimp Zoni" in connection with this year's Taiga drama. It is made with sweet soup stock made by adding shiitake mushrooms and soy sauce to the soup stock that has the aroma and umami of shrimp.


The ingredients are as diverse as shrimp and chicken, Chinese cabbage stewed in a thick sauce, bean sprouts and hot pot, and the satisfaction level is high. A gorgeous ozoni that is perfect for a day of hare!




The last is Kyoto's "white miso ozoni". It is said that the fact that all the rice cakes and ingredients are cut into round pieces is a luck to "make the family happy" and "make things fit in a circle".


The thick Saikyo miso soup is not only sweet, but also has an elegant taste with bonito kelp soup stock. When I eat it, my spine feels sick.


The product has detailed origins and customs, and you can get a deeper understanding of Japan through food. All of them have rugged ingredients and are of a quality that seems to come out at home, so why not use them not only for New Year's holidays but also for home use and souvenirs?