Hiromi in Hilo–Ozoni

By Hiromi W. Chung

Today I would like to share my recipe for ozoni (mochi Soup). Ozoni is eaten on New Year’s Day in Japan, and tastes and food ingredients are different in regions and at homes. My hometown (Numata-city) is located in the northern mountainside prefecture of Gunma, so I use many vegetables in my ozoni. The seasoning for the soup is basically dashi and soy sauce, and when chicken and dashi kombu are added in a pot and cooked, the taste becomes more delicious.

I made this Ozoni for my family on New Year’s Day in Hilo. Fortunately, I could get all of the food ingredients at KTA.

This is my family’s recipe.

Ingredients

-2 packets dashi (or to your liking)
-soy sauce about 4 Tbsp (or to your liking)
-Water *pour in just enough water to cover
-1/3 daikon
-1 carrot
-1/3 gobou (Burdock)
-3 araimo
-1 kamaboko
-1 uzumaki
-1 chikuwa
-1 package konnyaku
-1 package tofu
-1 tray boneless skinless hekka chicken
-1 sheet Dashi Kombu (Dried Kelp)

Optional Toppings
-mitsuba
-dried shrimp
-ao nori

I washed all vegetables, peeled, and cut them into rectangles except gobou. I peeled and cut the gobou in half and then cut it into half-circle slices. The rest of the ingredients were also cut into rectangles. I added vegetables, chicken, dashi kombu, kamaboko, uzumaki, chikuwa, konnyaku, and then tofu in a big pot. Tofu should be added last so that it retains its shape. I poured just enough water to cover the ingredients and added dashi and simmered it over medium heat. Finally, I added soy sauce to the pot and cooked until vegetables became tender.When the soup was cooked, I placed baked mochi in a bowl and poured the hot soup over it. Sprinkling mitsuba, dried shrimp, and ao nori are optional.