Christmas was over and it's time for many
housewives in Japan to prepare to welcome the New Year. I would say not all,
but many of them cook a set of traditional dishes for New Year.
We call it "osechi " which is
supposed to be prepared in advance before the arrival of the new year. You may
find it very interesting that each dish of "osechi" has a good reason
behind its name and it somehow symbolizes good health, good fortune and
prosperity.
That is the significance for us to have
"osechi " during the first three days of the new year.
And like my
mother did, of all "osechi " I start by cooking "kuromame".
It is slow simmered black soybeans.
Why do we eat them on this occasion?
It's like a pun because the word "mame" means bean, but it also means dilligent."
"Mame(beans)" and
"mame(diligent)" in Japanese have different written characters, but the same
sound. So people wish to be diligent and healthy throughout the year by eating "kuromame".
