Oden

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See Oden (disambiguation) for other uses

Oden (おでん) is a Japanese winter dish consisting of several ingredients such as boiled eggs, daikon radish, konnyaku and processed fish cakes stewed in a light, soy-flavoured dashi broth. Ingredients vary according to region and between each household. Karashi (Japanese mustard) is often used as a condiment.

Oden was originally what is now commonly called Misodengaku or simply Dengaku; konnyaku or tofu was boiled and one ate them with miso. Later, instead of using miso, ingredients were cooked in dashi and oden became popular.

Unlike most one pot dishes, ingredients can be added at any time. Oden is often sold from food carts, and most Japanese convenience stores have simmering oden pots in winter. Many different kinds of oden are sold, with single-ingredient varieties as cheap as 50 yen.

[edit] Regional variations

In Nagoya, it may be called Kanto-ni (関東煮) and soy sauce is used as a dipping sauce.

In Kansai area they are sometimes called Kanto-daki (関東煮 or 関東炊き) and tend to be stronger flavoured than the lighter Kanto version.

Oden in Shizuoka use a dark coloured broth flavoured with beef stock and dark soy sauce, and all ingredients are skewered. Dried and ground fish (sardine, mackerel, or skipjack tuna) and aonori powder (edible seaweed) are sprinkled on top before eating.

Udon restaurants in Kagawa Prefecture in Shikoku almost always offer oden as a side dish, to be eaten with sweet miso while waiting for the udon.

In Taiwan, people usually call it Oren (黑輪) because there is no 'd' sound in Taiwanese dialect.

[edit] List of Popular Ingredients

• Boiled eggs
• Chikuwabu - gluten tubes. Popular in Kanto, virtually unknown elsewhere.
• Sliced daikon
• Gyusuji - beef tendons
• Ito konnyaku
• Konnyaku
• Carrot
• Shiitake
• Kabocha - Japanese squash
• Potato
• Tsukune - fish or meat balls
• Octopus
• Tebichi - pig trotters, only in Okinawa
• Tofu products:
  • Ganmodoki - fried balls of tofu mixed with grated vegetables
  • Atsuage - deep fried tofu
  • Tofu - mainly in Kansai, usually seared
• Surimi products:
  • Bakudan - boiled egg wrapped in surimi
  • Chikuwa - thick tubes of surimi
  • Gobomaki - boiled gobo (greater burdock root) wrapped in surimi
  • Hanpen
  • Ikamaki - squid wrapped in surimi
  • Kamaboko
  • Shinjoage - fried seafood paste