Our Home-cooked Osechi おせち(Japanese New Year’s Boxed Meal)

Norio

What do you eat for New Year’s Day in Japan, Nico?

Tenmusu

Traditionally we have Osechi(おせち).

Okaka

Osechi? What is that?

Nico

Let’s have a look!

Home-cooked Osechi in My Family

Osechi in a Nutshell

Nico

Osechi (おせち)is a set of Japanese New Year’s dishes in a box.

It is prepared a few days before the New Year and eaten on January 1st in a family.

Okaka

Is it still common today?

Nico

Unfortunately, fewer and fewer people nowadays follow the tradition of home-cooking Osechi…., but we in my family still do that annually.

Norio

Is the photo above Osechi in your family? Looks so good!

Nico

Thank you! Yes, that’s our latest Osechi in 2025.

Meanings Symbolized in Each Osechi Dish

Shiso-chan

You have a variety of certain dishes in the Osechi box. What makes them special?

Nico

I think it’s the wish for the New Year symbolized in each dish. Here are some of them.

Kazunoko　数の子 (Herring Roe)

Symbol: Fertility (a lot of children) in the family (from its numerous herring eggs)

Tenmusu

They look a bit creepy, aren’t they…?

Nico

You’re not alone. My Dutch boyfriend also found the appearance scary (but then found out to be tasty!)

Nimono 煮もの (Simmered Stew)

Symbols:

・ Rooted lucks and happiness (as Nimono has a bunch of “root” vegetables such as carrots, daikon radish, and lotus roots)

・Family bonds (as different kinds of vegetables are stewed in one pot)

Kuro-mame 黒豆 (Sweetened Black Soybeans)

Symbol: Health (as “mame まめ” stands for both “beans” and “health” in Japanese)

Which Dish Attracts You?

Nico

Blogger

InstagramContact

A twentysomething female, born and raised in Japan.

[Backgrounds]
・Raised by a foodie family in a mountainous province called Nagano.
・1-year experience in the Netherlands as a teenager
・Starting up a plant-based cooking club in university
・Overcoming an eating disorder to make peace with food
・Work experience in a Japanese fermented food company