Oden, a comforting and versatile Japanese dish, is especially beloved during the chilly winter months. At its heart, Oden Food is a simmering pot filled with a medley of fish cakes, vegetables, and other ingredients, all steeped in a flavorful broth. For those unfamiliar, oden might seem like just another stew, but it’s so much more. It’s a culinary experience rich with history, regional nuances, and an array of textures and tastes waiting to be explored. Let’s dive into the world of oden food and uncover its secrets, history, and why it’s a must-try when experiencing Japanese cuisine.
Unpacking Oden Food: More Than Just a Hot Pot
Oden food can appear quite intriguing at first glance. Imagine encountering large blocks of tofu, substantial daikon radish rounds, mysterious balls, and intriguing edible tubes all simmering together. Understanding oden goes beyond just tasting it. It involves appreciating its history and the unique characteristics of each ingredient. Before you find yourself face-to-face with a steaming bowl, let’s explore the fascinating story and details of oden food from the comfort of your screen.
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The Historical Roots of Oden Food
The story of oden food begins in the 15th century with “tofu dengaku.” This early version featured firm tofu slices skewered, grilled or roasted, and generously coated with miso. The name “dengaku” originated because the skewers resembled the stilts used by dengaku street performers. Interestingly, the “den” character (田) from “dengaku” (田楽) is still used in the modern Japanese writing of oden (おでん).
During the Edo period, dengaku’s popularity soared, becoming a common street food alongside grilled dango and unagi eel. Over time, dengaku evolved beyond tofu to include various vegetables. In Osaka, konnyaku, prepared in the same style, emerged as “konnyaku dengaku.”
While several theories exist about the precise origins of today’s boiled oden food, the generally accepted narrative points to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was during this period that different ingredients began to be simmered together in broth. This innovation led to the creation of a flavorful dashi soup and a readily accessible street food – the oden food we recognize today.
Initially, oden food was primarily enjoyed outside the home, often at “oden-ya” stalls catering mainly to men after work. However, the 1950s marked a turning point. Post-war economic recovery allowed markets to sell ready-to-eat foods that were otherwise time-consuming to prepare at home, such as soup stock and surimi (fish cake). This made it significantly easier for families to purchase ingredients and prepare oden food at home.
Today, oden food is widely available across Japan. You can find it in supermarkets, pre-made at convenience stores, and as a staple dish in izakayas and specialty restaurants. As a “nimono” (simmered dish), similar to nabe or sukiyaki, oden food is traditionally enjoyed during the colder months, typically from October to April.
What Does “Oden” Mean in Japanese Cuisine?
As mentioned, oden food’s precursor was “tofu dengaku,” named for its skewers. When the dish gained popularity in the Kanto region around Edo, the “gaku” part of the name was dropped. An honorific “o” (お), similar to that used in words like “omiyage” (souvenirs), was added, resulting in “oden.”
In the Kansai region, the boiled version of oden food was initially called “Kanto-煮” (Kantou-daki), meaning “Kanto-boil,” reflecting its introduction from Tokyo (the Kanto region). While the name evolved over time, “oden” consistently refers to ingredients simmered in broth and enjoyed individually, not as a thick stew.
Essential Ingredients in Oden Food
Japanese oden food essentially comprises two key components: the broth and the ingredients simmered within it. In 2021, surveys revealed the most popular oden ingredients to be daikon radish, boiled eggs, chikuwa, konnyaku, and hanpen, forming the top five. Other common additions include mochi-filled pouches (kinchaku), beef tendon skewers, and various forms of tofu.
Daikon Radish
Thick slices of daikon radish, simmered for an extended period, perfectly embody the essence of oden soup flavors. The mild vegetable softens as it absorbs the broth, becoming tender enough to break apart with chopsticks and savor bite by bite. Daikon is undeniably a cornerstone ingredient in any oden food experience.
Hard-boiled Eggs
Hard-boiled eggs rank as the second most popular oden ingredient. Prepared similarly to ajitama ramen eggs, they are pre-boiled and then simmered in the oden broth, allowing them to take on a rich brown hue and savory flavor. They are filling, nutritious, and, admittedly, can be a bit messy. One wrong move, and these substantial oden components can splash broth onto your clothes! While skewered eggs are uncommon, perhaps it’s an idea worth considering for easier handling!
Chikuwa Fish Cake
Chikuwa is a type of Japanese fish cake recognizable by its tube-like shape and brown and white coloring. Its texture is pleasantly chewy, somewhere between a chicken nugget and tofu. The unique shape adds to the fun of eating, and its subtle seafood flavor complements the oden broth beautifully. Chikuwa is a distinctly Japanese ingredient and highly recommended for anyone seeking an authentic oden food experience.
Konnyaku and Shirataki
Konnyaku and shirataki noodles are fourth on the popularity list, ingredients that have recently gained recognition as health foods. These are firm jellies or “cakes” made from yam. Similar to daikon, they absorb surrounding flavors but offer a unique crunchy-bouncy-chewy texture reminiscent of squid sushi or jellyfish.
Hanpen and Assorted Fish Cakes
Hanpen, a white and spongy surimi fish cake with a fluffy texture, was the fifth most favored oden ingredient in 2021. It is said to be named after its Edo-period inventor, though its connection to oden at that time is unclear.
Surimi fish paste is crafted into various fish cakes and combined with other ingredients, resulting in a wide array of styles. Examples include Kagoshima’s satsuma age, a fried fish cake with mixed vegetables, and dense slices of kamaboko, often found in ramen and regional oden variations. Japanese fish balls and fish cakes come in countless shapes and flavors, adding to the diversity of oden food.
Kinchaku Mochi Pouches
Kinchaku are tofu skin pouches shaped like purses, named after small bags used in the Edo period for carrying personal items. They are commonly filled with mochi, which softens delightfully as it simmers in the broth. Sometimes, shirataki noodles or other small ingredients are enclosed in these tasty little sachets, but mochi remains the most popular filling.
Beef Tendon and Tsukune Meatballs
Gyuu-suji, or beef tendon, and tsukune (meatballs or meatloaf on a stick) are popular meat options in oden food. Gyuusuji is skewered tendon, simmered until tender and chewy. It’s savory, delicious, and relatively healthy due to its high protein content.
Tsukune come in various flavors, similar to meatballs, including soy sauce and barbeque. Cabbage rolls are also a popular addition, featuring a chunk of meatloaf or another protein wrapped in cabbage leaves and simmered until the leaves soften in the oden broth.
Tofu
Completing the list is tofu, oden’s original ingredient. Atsuage tofu (thick-cut, fried tofu), simple boiled tofu, tofu with vegetables mixed in and fried – all kinds of tofu find their place in a typical bowl of oden food. True to its nature, tofu readily absorbs the oden broth’s flavor, becoming even more delicious the longer it simmers.
Regional Variations of Oden Food Across Japan
Japan is celebrated for its diverse regional cuisine, with each area boasting unique flavors and culinary traditions. Thanks to varying climates and abundant local resources, oden food has evolved significantly across different regions to reflect local preferences.
- Tokyo Style Oden
- Kyoto Style Oden
- Nagoya Style Oden
- Shizuoka Style Oden
- Kanazawa and Northern Japan Oden
- Other Unique Oden Variations
Tokyo Style Oden
Considered the “original” oden style, Tokyo oden food relies heavily on fish cakes and fish-paste-based ingredients, along with katsuo-boshi dashi broth. It features a light brown stock (resembling beef broth) and a soy sauce-forward, slightly sweet taste. Oden is sometimes referred to as Japanese fish-cake soup or fish-ball soup, which makes sense given that the Tokyo version prominently features various shapes and flavors of fish cake for its distinct character.
Explore the best Oden Restaurants in Tokyo to experience this flavorful winter dish.
Kyoto Style Oden
Kyoto oden boasts an even lighter broth than its Tokyo counterpart, deriving its flavor primarily from salt and kombu. Signature ingredients in Kyoto oden include taro and simple, subtly flavored tofu, emphasizing the delicate tastes of the ingredients themselves.
Nagoya Style Oden
Nagoya’s oden food stands out due to its use of hacchou miso, giving it a distinctly different appearance and flavor profile. The rich, deeply flavored miso broth permeates roasted tofu and pork skewers, creating a robust and savory experience.
Shizuoka Style Oden
Shizuoka Style Oden is easily recognizable by its use of black hanpen and a dark, intensely flavored broth. Uniquely, all ingredients in Shizuoka oden are served on skewers. Its distinctive characteristics stem from the beef tendon broth and dark-fleshed fish used in its preparation.
Kanazawa and Northern Japan Oden
The northern regions of Japan, including Tohoku, Hokkaido, and Kanazawa, benefit from the abundant seafood of the Japan Sea. Oden food from these areas often features fresh seafood like crab and shellfish. Kanazawa oden is known for its high-quality crab, flavorful sea snails, and a fragrant soy sauce broth unique to the region. Hokkaido oden blends flavors from both land and sea, while Aomori oden sometimes incorporates a miso topping, reminiscent of oden’s early dengaku origins.
Other Unique Oden Variations
In Okinawa, you might find oden food featuring trotters and even chilled oden served in the summer. Intriguingly, a sweets shop in Tokyo even offers dessert oden with an oolong tea base! Osaka oden typically uses a chicken broth soup, and some regions are known for unique additions like chicken wings or gyoza-style fish cakes filled with dumpling ingredients. Overall, oden food is often considered a healthy option due to its low-fat content and digestion-promoting ingredients like konnyaku, daikon, and fiber-rich gobo maki. It was even featured and promoted at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as a healthy and representative Japanese dish.
How to Enjoy Oden Food
The simplest way to savor a warm bowl of oden food is at Japanese convenience stores during winter. Just point to your desired ingredients, and they will be neatly arranged in a large styrofoam bowl, complete with a lid that politely reads, “Please eat this soon!”. Convenience stores often provide complimentary flavor packets to customize your broth, such as yuzu koshou for citrus notes, shichimi for a touch of spice, and thick miso tare sauce for richness. It’s also common to enjoy oden food with Japanese karashi mustard, but be cautious, a small amount goes a long way, similar to wasabi.
Eating oden, with its diverse shapes and textures, can be a somewhat informal affair. Chopsticks are the primary utensil, but beyond that, techniques vary. You might un-skewer ingredients and let them soak in the broth, carefully break tofu into smaller pieces, or simply pick up a whole piece and take bites. While not always graceful, eating oden food is undeniably delicious!
Outside of Japan, oden-style fish cakes are readily available in East Asian markets. Pre-packaged oden sets with recommended ingredients and broth bases can be found in the frozen food sections of retailers like H-mart. Simply simmer the ingredients in your preferred Japanese-style konbu or dashi stock, miso soup base, etc., for a longer period (though a shorter simmer of around 30 minutes works for a quick homemade version) and enjoy a healthy and uniquely Japanese culinary experience at home!
Oden Food: A Delicious Pun Intended
“There’s a sale? O! Den, I guess I’ll have one of each!”
It’s a playful pun, but not far from the truth! Each oden ingredient offers a unique taste and texture, contributing to a delightful and novel dining experience. Oden food is an exciting culinary adventure in Japan, with taste-testing being part of the fun. From convenient grab-and-go oden at convenience stores, echoing its street food origins, to specialty restaurants with broths simmered for months or even years, oden food presents itself in diverse forms and flavors. The regional variations alone will encourage you to seek out oden wherever you travel in Japan. So, next time you see that little skewer of goodness emoji, remember “oden food” and all the deliciousness it represents.
Experiencing Oden Food at Miyuki
To enrich this article, I visited Miyuki in Kanazawa, a restaurant recognized as one of the top 5,000 restaurants nationwide by Tabelog (Japan’s equivalent to Yelp). Despite a 45-minute wait in the chilly weather (around 30 degrees!), the anticipation for oden food kept spirits high. The sound of customers ordering “nama-beer” and oden filled the air, setting a perfect winter dining scene.
The owners of Miyuki generously shared insights into Kanazawa oden, emphasizing its uniquely light and unsweet broth that enhances the delicate flavors of seafood. They also highlighted the local sourcing of their ingredients, including Kaga lotus root, sea salt from the Noto peninsula, and other regional produce, all contributing to a truly delicious meal.
Miyuki’s owners proudly showcased not only their menu and culinary innovation but also the quality of their ingredients. Their traditional eggplant dengaku, a nod to oden’s origins, is a popular menu item, allowing diners to experience both the history and present-day enjoyment of oden food. I was fortunate to try their highly sought-after beef tendon, which often sells out within hours of opening.
The palpable pride of the chefs was evident in their bustling, intimate counter space, filled with a diverse clientele. Interestingly, I observed a solo female diner photographing her anime figures with her oden – a testament to oden’s broad appeal! I was grateful for the owners’ openness in offering recommendations and allowing me to capture the essence of their oden food experience through photography.
Looking for more warming winter dishes? Explore our guide to the best Winter Foods in Tokyo.
