Osechi Ryori
Osechi Ryori
Store Events and News, Seafood Department, Grocery Department, Produce Department, Deli (and Catering), Holidays
New Year’s Day is commonly spent with family and friends enjoying traditional “good luck” food known as Osechi Ryori (おせち料理) in Japan. Osechi Ryori is designed to be visually appealing, boasting bright colors and shapes depicting things like flowers and scrolls. Many of the foods in Osechi Ryori also have special meaning attached to them and symbolize a wish for the coming year and are traditionally packed in beautiful lacquered boxes called jubako.
Osechi Ryori foods are prepared in a way to be enjoyed over the first 3 days of the New Year so they are either dried or cooked with plenty of salt or vinegar to prevent from spoiling.
Each year, we offer Osechi Ryori that you can pre-order to enjoy for the New Year. You can also make your own Osechi Ryori at home or pick up ingredients at our stores to build your own Osechi Ryori platter.
Below, we list some popular Osechi Ryori foods along with their symbolic meaning.
Datemaki
These sweet rolled eggs look similar to rolled up scrolls and represent a wish for education. Find these in our seafood department or ready to eat in our deli.
Kuromame
Sweetened black beans are eaten for good health. Canned kuromame available in our grocery department, frozen in our seafood department or ready to eat in our deli.
Namasu
Daikon and carrot salad pickled in sweetened vinegar represents celebration. Available ready to eat in our deli.
Kombumaki
Kombu is kelp and maki is to roll. Kombu sounds similar to yorokobu which means joy and happiness. Find these dried in our grocery department, frozen in our seafood department or ready to eat in our deli.
Ebi Shrimp
Shrimp with bent backs symbolize long life as it represents an older person with curled back. Fresh or frozen shrimp available in our seafood department.
Kuri Kinton
The golden color of this mashed sweet potato and chestnut dish represents a wish for wealth and financial success. Find it frozen in our seafood department.
Kazunoko
‘Kazu’ means number and ‘ko’ means child in Japanese and therefore this herring roe represents a symbol for fertility. Find kazunoko in our seafood department.
Kamaboko
The red color of the fishcake is thought to ward off evil and the white represents purity. Find assorted fish cakes in our seafood department.
Kinpira Gobo
Seasoned burdock root represents a wish for good health. Find this ready to eat in our deli or in the grocery freezer.
