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Photo: KYOTREAT Editorial Department<\/p><\/div>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Have you ever tried ozoni in Kyoto? Kyoto-style ozoni is made with white miso and contains round mochi. The standard ingredients are taro and daikon radish; the round mochi symbolizes harmony and longevity, while the taro represents the prosperity of descendants and success in life. Daikon radish symbolizes harmony when cut into rounds and longevity when cut into tortoise-shell shapes. Since ozoni is offered to the New Year deity, kombu is generally used as the sole source of broth to avoid any fishy odor, and bonito flakes are sprinkled on top just before eating.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Generally, most miso has a salt content of around 10 to 12 percent, but the salt content of Kyoto\u2019s white miso\u2014known as Saikyo miso\u2014is approximately 5 to 7 percent. Among the higher-end varieties, some contain a larger amount of koji and have an extremely mild flavor with a salt content of 4 percent or less. We use plenty of this sweet miso until the soup becomes thick and rich. It looks just like a potage! People from other prefectures who try this ozoni for the first time invariably say, \u201cIt\u2019s sweet, isn\u2019t it?\u201d with a big smile.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
And Kyoto residents each have their own favorite type of Saikyo miso. You might think, \u201cIsn\u2019t white miso pretty much the same everywhere?\u201d but the flavor varies greatly depending on factors such as the amount and type of koji, the aging period, and the salt content. Some of the best-known brands include Yamari Shoten, Ishino Miso, Honda Miso, and Kant\u014dya. Among these, Yamari\u2019s miso is the official supplier to renowned ry\u014dtei restaurants, famous wagashi shops, and the three major schools of the tea ceremony. Made exclusively from koji crafted from carefully selected rice, soybeans, and salt, it boasts a refined and deep flavor.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Photo: KYOTREAT Editorial Department<\/p><\/div>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Since you can find it at department stores, supermarkets, and places like Nishiki Market, it\u2019s fun to try comparing different brands of Saikyo miso to find the flavor you like best. With so many white miso recipes available online, you might even find yourself expanding your culinary horizons.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n And here\u2019s something I\u2019d like to share with anyone traveling to Kyoto! You can enjoy this white miso zoni at the following restaurants!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u30fbShiruko (100 Manmachi, Nishikiyamachi, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City, just north of Shijo)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u30fbKimi-ya (37-1 Jodoji Kaminamida-cho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u30fbIchij\u014d-ji Nakaya (5 Ichij\u014d-ji Hanano-ki-ch\u014d, Saky\u014d-ku, Kyoto City)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u30fbToraya Saryo Ichijo Branch (Ichijo-dori, Karasuma Nishi-iru, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The place I\u2019d especially like to recommend is \u201cShiruko.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Photo: KYOTREAT Editorial Department<\/p><\/div>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n This is a restaurant specializing in miso soup. It\u2019s located on the site of the former residence of Shuntaro Kotaka\u2014the man whose actions sparked the Ikedaya Incident, in which the Shinsengumi attacked loyalist activists\u2014making it a location that fans of the Bakumatsu era will find irresistible! The interior also has a distinct Kyoto feel.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n You can enjoy delicious miso soup all year round, but from December through February, they also serve ozoni\u2014a truly irresistible dish where the rich, hearty broth harmonizes perfectly with the creamy, full-bodied white miso.<\/p>\r\n A traditional Kyoto dish known only to those in the know is imob\u014d.<\/p>\r\n Imob\u014d is a dish that has been enjoyed in Kyoto for a long time and is also a popular part of the Osechi ryori holiday meal.<\/p>\r\n To begin with, \"imo-b\u014d\" is a dish made by simmering ebi-imo and dried cod together.<\/p>\r\n Ebi-imo is one of the Kyoto vegetables, and its origins are said to date back to the mid-Edo period, when sweet potatoes from Kyushu were brought back to Kyoto.<\/p>\r\n Since it was a very expensive food back then, it is said that people ate it on special occasions, such as New Year's.<\/p>\r\n This dish is characterized by simmering thickly chamfered taro root with tender, rehydrated cod sticks over a long period of time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n And in Kyoto, there are traditional Japanese sweets that are synonymous with the New Year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n When it comes to traditional Japanese sweets in Kyoto, Demachi Futaba\u2019s \u201cMame Mochi\u201d has become nationally famous in recent years. Its popularity has continued to soar, and this year, we even saw lines stretching all the way to the foot of Aoi Bridge\u2014famous for the Aoi Festival! \u201cAjari Mochi\u201d is also a popular souvenir, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n But when it comes to New Year's, nothing beats hanabira mochi.<\/p>\r\n To begin with, hanabira-mochi is famous as a traditional Japanese confection that is an essential part of New Year's celebrations in Kyoto (primarily events such as the Hatsugama).<\/p>\r\n This Japanese confection consists of soft mochi dough wrapped around a white miso filling and sweetly simmered burdock root; it is said to be a symbol of longevity originating from the \u201ctooth-hardening ceremony\u201d of the Heian period.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n This confection is based on the concept of combining the diamond-shaped and round mochi traditionally eaten during the New Year in the Edo period with a type of zoni soup served without broth, so it contains miso and burdock root and is wrapped in mochi.<\/p>\r\n They will be available at many long-established Japanese confectionery shops in Kyoto from late December through mid-January.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Photo: KYOTREAT Editorial Department\u2014Michiyoshi Kawabata\u2019s \u201cMihashi-ba\u201d<\/p><\/div>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n We begin accepting phone reservations on December 1st every year, and since they fill up in the blink of an eye, they\u2019re probably already hard to come by this year\u2014but the rich, white miso filling and its melt-in-your-mouth texture offer a flavor you won\u2019t find in any other hanabira mochi. Be sure to give them a try next year or later.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Since the hanabira mochi from other Japanese confectionery shops also vary considerably in every possible aspect\u2014from shape and the type of mochi used to the brand of white miso, the consistency of the red bean paste, and the number of burdock root pieces\u2014I enjoy discovering these differences every year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Photo: KYOTREAT Editorial Department Top: Chokudo; Left: Tsuruya Tsuruju-an; Right: Kameya Yoshinaga<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n On January 15 (or between the 14th and 16th), people sometimes celebrate \u201cLittle New Year,\u201d a New Year\u2019s tradition.<\/p>\r\n During Little New Year, people sometimes eat a dish called red bean porridge.<\/p>\r\n Red bean porridge is made with soft, cooked red beans and mochi.<\/p>\r\n This custom originates from a Chinese tradition in which red foods, such as adzuki beans, were believed to ward off evil spirits; it came to be eaten both as a way to pray for good health and to give the stomach and intestines a rest after the heavy New Year\u2019s feasts.<\/p>\r\n Red bean porridge is such a traditional food that it is even mentioned in *The Pillow Book* and *The Tosa Diary*.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Although it has now become well-known throughout the country, it has become a traditional dish eaten as \u201cAzuno-oka-san,\u201d particularly in the Kansai region, starting with Kyoto.<\/p>\r\n Once the New Year celebrations are over, you can enjoy red bean porridge at events like the \u201cCelebrating Early Spring with Red Bean Porridge\u201d at My\u014dshin-ji\u2019s T\u014drin-in Temple and the \u201cPorridge Festival\u201d at Shimogamo Shrine.<\/p>\r\n While there are many dishes made with white miso\u2014such as Saikyo-zuke, aburi-mochi, and miso-matsukaze\u2014New Year\u2019s is the time of year when people enjoy white miso the most. If you\u2019re spending New Year\u2019s in Kyoto, why not try ozoni and hanabira-mochi and celebrate the Kyoto New Year with all five senses?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u6642\u304c\u904e\u304e\u308b\u306e\u306f\u672c\u5f53\u306b\u3042\u3063\u3068\u3044\u3046\u9593\u3067\u9a5a\u304b\u3055\u308c\u3066\u3057\u307e\u3046\u3082\u306e\u3067\u3059\u3002 \u65b0\u3057\u3044\u4e00\u5e74\u304c\u59cb\u307e\u308b\u65b0\u5e74\u306b\u306f\u65e5\u672c\u5404\u5730 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":135,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[34,54,51,1],"tags":[],"area":[88,39,69,90,91],"posts_tag":[37,76],"class_list":["post-131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kyoto-gourmet","category-season","category-history","category-top-slider","area-higashiyama","area-fushimi","area-kitano","area-ginkaku-ji","area-kyoto-outskirts","posts_tag-localgourmet","posts_tag-76"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/kyotreat.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/FA1unnamed.jpg\")
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\u25cb Sweet Potato Stick (Imob\u014d)<\/h2>\r\n
What exactly is \"hanabira mochi\"?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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\u25cb Red Bean Porridge to Pray for Good Health and Freedom from Illness<\/h2>\r\n