A Slightly Late New Year Post From My Kitchen

It is already January 9th, so saying Happy New Year feels a little late. But after the rush of the holidays, this is finally the moment when I can sit down and write again.

This year, I want to share a quiet New Year scene from home. Osechi dishes neatly arranged, and mochi waiting to be stretched and eaten.

The original idea behind osechi is actually very practical. You prepare everything at the end of the year so that for the first few days of January, no one has to cook. It is meant to give everyone (back in the day moms…😹) a break. And it works. At least at first.

After a few days though, I will be honest. You start wanting something a little different. That is when small, personal twists appear. In our home, we have been adding a dish we call Tsubaki /camellia Salad for decades. Potato salad topped with smoked salmon, shaped like a camellia flower. It is not traditional, but it has become tradition for us. Osechi slowly evolves like that, family by family.

Then there is mochi. If you ask what mochi represents, the answer is surprisingly visual. It stretches. It keeps stretching. That long, elastic pull is a symbol of longevity and continuity. On New Year mornings, we eat mochi to settle our bodies after drinking, to reset, and to wish for a year of happiness together. There is always a bit of laughter when it stretches too far and refuses to break.

Food traditions are rarely frozen in time. They bend, stretch, and adapt. That is something I think about often through our Tokyo food tour and Tokyo food cooking class. Food carries meaning, but it also carries personality.

A little late or not, I hope this year is a good one for everyone.