Zoni, soup with rice cake (mochi). 雑煮。Also called o-zoni.
Traditionally served at New Year. Eaten in the morning after a toast with otoso, the spicy New year's sake.
Traditionally served at New Year. Eaten in the morning after a toast with otoso, the spicy New year's sake.
[Zoni]
There are many regional variations. For example, in East Japan a clear soup (sumashijiru) flavored with dashi and soy sauce is favored, while in Western Japan the soup is made from white miso (shiromiso). And as the name "simmered miscellany" already indicates, a variety of ingredients can be added besides the mochi. These include fish, chicken, leafy vegetables, carrot, kamaboko, etc. But the rice cake is the determining part. The name "zoni" itself also indicates that miscellaneous items of food (such as mochi, vegetables and seafood) have been boiled together.
The preparation of the mochi for the dish also varies by region. In the Kanto and Tohoku regions, the mochi are cut into squares and grilled before being added to the stock. In the Kansai region and the Chugoku region, a round, boiled mochi is generally preferred.
Sadly, sometimes zoni is literally a "killing" dish. The half-molten rice cakes get extremely sticky and every year several persons - mostly elderly - choke on them. The advice is to use smaller mochi vy cutting them into pieces and to take small bites off them - take care not to suck them up together with the soup!
The preparation of the mochi for the dish also varies by region. In the Kanto and Tohoku regions, the mochi are cut into squares and grilled before being added to the stock. In the Kansai region and the Chugoku region, a round, boiled mochi is generally preferred.
Sadly, sometimes zoni is literally a "killing" dish. The half-molten rice cakes get extremely sticky and every year several persons - mostly elderly - choke on them. The advice is to use smaller mochi vy cutting them into pieces and to take small bites off them - take care not to suck them up together with the soup!