Osechi Ryori (Traditional Japanese New Year's Food) / おせち料理

As we had not travel plans for the New Year's Holidays we decided to splurge and order ourselves some Osechi ryori which could be translated as traditional Japanese New Year's food. Most of the foods have some meanings attached to them such as kazunoko which symbolizes a wish to be gifted with many children or kuro-mame (black soy beans) symbolizing a wish for good health in the new year and konbu (a type of seawood) which is associated with the word yorokobu which means joy. We ordered a two-layer box for our osechi-ryori.

今年のお正月はどこも行かなかったもんで、料理だけをちょっと贅沢して、おせち料理を予約しました。日本ならの過ごし方しようと思った。 私たちが注文したのはおせち二段重。

The first layer includes kuro-mame (black soy beans), chestnuts, shrimp, kazunoko (herring roe), bamboo shoots, carrots, burdock root, devil's tongue and maybe a couple of other items.

壱の重：丹波篠山産黒豆、栗きんとん （なると金時芋使用）、紅白蒲鉾、有頭エビの艶煮、田作り、数の子、鹿児島県産ぶり照り焼き、煮物（竹の子穂先、花人参、ふき、乱切人参、ごぼう、こんにゃく、結び麩）、絹さや。

The second layer included date-maki, salmon roe, renkon, smoked salmon with marinated onions, more burdock root, squid, and others.

弐の重：伊達巻、三陸産いくら醤油漬、砂糖がけ胡桃、紅白なます、レンコン酢漬け、阿渡尾鶏の肉団子、紅鮭のスモークサーモン、たまねぎマリネ、たたきごぼう、松笠いか明太子和え、松前漬けの数の子添え。