ODEN Part ONE (Vegan & Vegetarian Options)

Jan 12, 2021 | Kitchen Culture, Winter, Year-Round

おでん Oden

Various ingredients find their way into the belly-warming stew known as oden. Most versions include myriad sausage-like items made from surimi (fish and seafood ground to a paste). There are, however, lots of options for those who prefer plant-based items only. Vegan and vegetarian Items fall into four categories:

#1 tōfu & soy-foods (tōfu rui豆腐類・daizu seihin大豆製品)

#2 root vegetables (konsai rui 根菜類)

#3 konnyaku (蒟蒻)

#4 other

For those not brought up with Japanese kitchen culture I’ve prepared an illustrated guide to some of the more puzzling items. hope you’ll try your hand at making ODEN in your kitchen.

DOWNLOAD An Illustrated Guide to (vegetarian & vegan) ODEN Items  and a Basic Recipe for Vegan & Vegetarian ODEN

ODEN that features sausage-like items made from surimi (fish and seafood ground to a paste) is the focus of ODEN Part TWO

Oysters

Oysters

Throughout the world, oysters have been a popular food source since ancient times. Archeologic evidence in Japan, in the form of kaizuka (shell mounds), dates to the Jōmon period (14,000-300 BCE). Oysters had been abundant for millennia and harvested in their natural...

Kagami Mochi

Kagami Mochi

At New Years’ time, the Japanese decorate their homes with a special display called KAGAMI MOCHI. There are many regional variations on the theme but typically two large rounds of omochi rice taffy are stacked with a daidai 橙 (bitter orange) on top. The arrangement is...

Symbolic Pine

Symbolic Pine

Because pine trees are hardy evergreens, they are a symbol of longevity and resilience in Japanese culture. As such they are a key motif used at New Year’s. Various foods are configured to evoke the image of pine needles (matsuba 松葉 ) and pine cones (matsukasa 松笠 )....

Katsura Muki, gossamer thin peels

Katsura Muki, gossamer thin peels

Daikon radish is peeled into long, seemingly impossibly thin ribbons in a cut known as katsura muki. The skill needed to produce these peels is the most basic requirement in any Japanese professional kitchen. It typically takes months (if not years) of daily practice...

Recent Posts & Projects