Zoni ,  the good luck food eaten at New Year’s

What is Zoni?

Zoni is Traditional New Year’s soup, the principal ingredient of which is Mochi(rice cake) .
Mochi has long been thought to bring good fortune, and Zoni is the most auspicious food eaten at New Year’s.
The custom of eating Zoni is thought to have originated in the 15th century and was considered a ritual partaking of food with gods, to whom it was also offered.(adapted from japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia.Tokyo: Kodansha,1993)
The methods and ingredients of cooking Zoni quite depend on the region in Japan.
There are more than a hundred kinds of Zoni based on each region.

A wide Variety of Zoni

In the Kanto region (Tokyo,Kanagawa and others ), Zoni is customarily made by adding a grilled square of mochi to sumashijiru (clear soup), other ingredients include chicken, kamaboko (steamed  fish paste), shrimp, and green leafy vegetables.
In the Kansai region ( Kyoto,Osaka,Kobe), boiled round mochi as well as yam,burdock, and other ingredients are added to soup made with white Miso.

The main factors of difference of Zoni are as follows

• Shape　of Moch i:　Square or Circle
• The way to cook Mochi : Baked or Boiled
• Soup：　Clear soup(Sumashijiru), Miso soup, or Azuki soup
• Ingredient : Including Chicken or Fish

If you have a chance to visit Japan in New Year, please enjoy the Zoni which is specific in the region.