Japaneats その12 – おでん - Oden

As we've seen before, despite its reputation for delicacy Japan is no stranger to stodgy food. As 夏 (なつ - natsu - Summer) burns itself out and the nights start to cool down again the おでん carts will start to reappear; the steaming bowls of brown stuff they serve up are guaranteed to prove that Japan isn't always form over function. It's definitely not pretty and the taste might not be for everyone, but おでん holds a very special place in the Japanese heart.

To put it simply, おでん is a boiled stew made with vegetables, 豆腐 (とうふ - tofu), コンニャク (konnyaku - starchy devil's tongue jelly) and seafood. The broth is made from だし (dashi stock), 醤油 (しょうゆ - shouyu - soy sauce) and みりん (mirin). In some cases 味噌 (みそ - miso) is added to the broth or used as a condiment as well;  the word "おでん" is in fact based off "田楽" (でんがく- dengaku), which is similar but more 味噌-based. おでん originated in the 関東 (かんとう- Kanto) area and was originally known in 関西 (かんさい - Kansai) as 関東煮き (かんとうだき- Kanto daki), meaning "Kanto boiled stew", but it's now fairly standard nationwide. Like 焼き鳥 (やきとり - yakitori - grilled chicken skewers), おでん is most commonly served at 屋台 (やたい - yatai - food stalls or carts) as an accompaniment to alcohol - a late-night snack to have with a cup of お酒 (おさけ - osake - sake).

The appeal of おでん - apart from the warmth - is twofold. Firstly, as a palate cleanser it's not so rich that it overpowers the taste of the お酒 and secondly, it's a completely customisable experience; you buy the ingredients individually from the pot so you can have as many of your favourite bits as you like. As a dining experience, it's not too rich or heavy and the broth has a mild, salty flavour; a lot of the enjoyment comes from the different flavours and textures of the ingredients, from the crunchy vegetables to the chewy 厚揚げ (あつあげ - atsuage - fried tofu). There's such a variety that you're bound to find something in there that you like.

A more recent phenomenon is the arrival of おでん stands in コンビニ (combini - convenience stores). Most now have a pot bubbling at all hours throughout most of the year, where people can grab  a takeaway bowl and help themselves. There are a range of traditional and modern ingredients, from vegetables like ごぼう(gobou - burdock root), 大根 (だいこん - daikon - white radish), 椎茸 (しいたけ - shiitake mushrooms) and potato; to seafood like たこ(tako - octopus), 竹輪 (ちくわ - tube-shaped fish cake) and かまぼこ (kamaboko - fish paste); and even the occasional ソーセージ (sausage) or ゆで卵 (yude tamago - boiled egg). Invariably it's served with 辛し (からし - karashi - hot mustard) to give a little extra kick to the subtle flavours. コンビニ おでん is seldom nicely presented (it's always fun to watch tourists gape in horror at the tentacles emerging from the watery depths), but it's a cheap and healthy snack all the same.

When おでん is served at home, it's not usually done like other 鍋物 (なべもの - nabemono - hot pot) - it's dished up in single serves beforehand rather than communally at the table. Every household has a different take on how it's all done, which puts a bit of a "Mum's home cooking" nostalgia into every bowl; beyond that, anything can be thrown in and cooked up. While more extravagant dishes like すき焼き (sukiyaki) were too rich and too expensive to have regularly in years gone by, おでん has always been a cheap and cheerful staple that takes people back to simpler times. So while the tourists might be turning a little green around the gills at the sight of it, おでん reminds Japanese people of home; it's the same versatile, convenient and nourishing food that they grew up with. That's probably why they're not too fussy about how it looks!