Shizuoka oden

Shizuoka odenis a variation ofoden, a stew-likeJapanese foodconsisting of fish paste cakes, boiled eggs,daikon, potatoes, kelp rolls,konnyaku, and other ingredients that are first boiled then kept simmering in abrothuntil consumption.
Shizuoka oden differs from other types of oden in two ways: the preparation of the broth and the way every ingredient is skewered on a stick. The broth is made with beef sinew (instead of thedried skipjack flakesused in other types of oden) and seasoned with strongsoy sauce. Because the simmering broth is only replenished rather than discarded, it takes on a very deep, brown-black color; but this process of adding new broth to old is what gives Shizuoka oden the distinctive flavor that many people find so delicious.
Like other types of oden, Shizuoka oden is particularly suitable for consumption in the colder seasons because of the warming effect it has, much like hotsoupsandstewsserved in other countries with cold seasons. Shizuoka oden is best eaten and paired with a hot (spicy)karashimustard.
Originating in the 14th century during the Muromachi period, shizuoka oden initially began as a dish calleddengaku, which consisted of grilled tofu skewered topped withmisosauce.It is believed that oden was created to make use of the leftoverfishandvegetables. The name was eventually shortened to “den” with an honorific “o” at the beginning, creating the name “oden”.During the Edo period, tofu stew was mainly cooked with a robustsoy sauceand a soup made from a blend ofkonbu(seaweed),whale meat, and beef tendons, but later on, whale meat was not used anymore.After the Meiji period, people started adding ingredients like konnyaku and eggs into the mix.Shizuoka oden is a popular dish at festivals and stalls throughout Japan. Oden was initially offered at street stalls, but nowadays it can be found inizakaya, restaurants, convenience stores, and even in canned products in vending machines.
Although different regions ofJapansay they all have unique ways of making shizuoka oden broth, variations could be divided into 3 main categories:
Shizuoka oden is a traditional Japanese dish that is popular in both West and East Japan. The main difference between the two versions is the ingredients and broth used. In West Japan, the stew is seasoned withlight soy saucewithmirinandsalt, and left to lightly simmer in the pot.It’s common to see people use more meat in there oden in the West, likebeef tendonandoctopus.In the East in Japan, the broth is more sweet and savory with thedark soy sauce,sugar, andsakethat is used.The broth is left to simmer for a longer time and the most popular ingredient they include in their broth isfish cake.
The broth is best cooked slowly over low to medium-low heat because if it starts boiling, it might cause ingredients like the eggs to break, which will ruin the clarity of the soup.Simmering the broth for several hours will allow the flavors to develop and will create a richer and more flavorful broth. Additionally, adding ingredients likemushroomsand othervegetablescan enhance the flavor of the broth.
Top 10 favorite ingredients and their popularity:
Alternative ingredients:
Aoba Koen Park Street used to be lined with food stands that served oden and drinks from the afternoon into the morning time.It is an excellent way to enjoy a unique Japanese dish while enjoying the park street atmosphere. Since the hygiene law in the 1960s were passed, these stands were forced to move indoor and eventually becoming the Aoba Oden Alley.This alley is a popular street food area that's known to serve traditional Japanese dish, consisting of various ingredients that are simmered indashibroth. The Aoba Oden Alley is great place to visit for those looking for a unique and tasty snack. Each shop is able to seat about 6-9 customers at a time and many customers are regulars, meaning they eat at the shop often.In the oden alley, some serve oden and others serve a more homemade type of food. Usually when the owner retires, a younger person looking to start a small business or a former customer will take over the business.
Every year in mid-February, a Shizuoka Oden Festival is held in Aoba Koen and Gofuku-cho area where adults and children all come together for fun.The festival included traditional music and dance performances, food stalls,fireworks, and other activities. The festival is aimed at promoting the region'scultureandtourism, and is attended by thousands of people from all around the country. People come to enjoy the food and entertainment at the festival, as well as to mingle with the locals and experience the culture ofShizuoka.
Shizuoka oden is a type of Japanese dish that is prepared in adashibroth. To make it, start by boiling the oden ingredients in a large pot with enough dashi stock to cover them. Since different ingredients need different times to absorb the broth, allow the hard ingredients like the eggs to simmer in the broth for about 30 minutes before placing the other ingredients for another 15 minutes.Once the oden ingredients are cooked through, add more dashi stock and season withsoy sauce,mirin, andsugarto taste. Leave the oden to be simmering at low to medium-low heat so the ingredients don’t break, which will make the broth cloudy.Finally, serve the oden withcondimentssuch as grateddaikon, choppedgreen onions, and/oraonori(dried seaweed).