Kuri-kinton is one of Osechi which are special dishes at the beginning of the yaer in Japan. Osechi include more than ten dishes. Japanese people find the reason why we have each dish of Osechi. Regarding Kuri-kinton, the reason is that we wish to live without money trouble. Kuri-kinton is made from chestnuts with sugar or Mirin which is something similar to sugar soup in Japan. The color of Kuri-kinton is golden color and “kinton” means food similar to gold nugget. So we find that the reason to take Kuri-kinton is to have enough money to live happily.
Japanese people have the Nanakusa-gayu in the morning on January 7th. Nanakusa-gayu means rice porridge with seven different kinds of spring herbs. It is very healthy and low in calories. Since the people take a lot of special food and drink which include Osechi, Ozohni, Sake and etc. at the beginning of the year in Japan, the people take a rest for their stomach to have the Nanakusa-gayu.
The following shows the seven herbs of spring.
1. Seri, or Japanese parsley
2. Nazuna, or Shepherd's Purse
3. Gogyo, or Cudweed
4. Hakobera, or Chickweed
5. Hotokenoza, or Nipplewort
6. Suzuna, or Turnip
7. Suzushiro, or Radish
Unfortunately I did not take the Nanakusa-gayu this year.
Japanese people have an Ozohni at the beginning of the year. The Ozohni is the soup with rice cakes, taros, sliced pieces of carrot, spinach and etc. The Ozohni is similar to the miso soup. The difference between the Ozohni and the miso soup is the soup stock. The soup stock of Ozohni is the white soup or the soy soup. The white soup is took by people in Kansai area where Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe are located. The soy soup is took by people in Kanto area where Tokyo, Yokohama and Chiba are located. The shape of rice cake is the difference between in Kansai and in Kanto. Kansai people pour round rice cakes into the soup. Kanto people pour square rice cakes into the soup.
Yesterday is the traditional day called "Kagami-Biraki" in Japan. What is "Kagami-Biraki"?
Japanes people set the "Kagami-Mochi" in the house just before January 1st. "Kagami-Mochi" is the offering of the rice cake to Gods. We pray peace and prosperity of our family to God with "Kagami-Mochi" during the first ten days of January. After the period, we take the "Kagami-Mochi", the rice cake. Usually we have the "Kagami-Mochi" as the "Zenzai". The "Zenzai" is red bean soup with the rice cake. We thanks Gods having the "Zenzai" with the "Kagami-Mochi" on January 11th.
The above event is "Kagami-Biraki".
