Oden – Japan’s heart-warming winter hotpot

Oden is a traditional hotpot dish served in autumn and winter consisting of varied ingredients stewed in a light soy-based dashi broth. The actual ingredients consist of some essential items such as boiled egg, thick slices of daikon radish, jellied konnyaku, deep fried atsu-age tofu, and tube-shaped chikuwa fish cakes, and also some other items that will differ according to the region or personal preference. Most people like to eat each item with a little miso sauce or a dab of karashi mustard, to give the savory flavours an extra kick. As you can probably imagine, oden is a simple dish, and easy to make, but it is also a super tasty and satisfying meal, warming both body and soul, and adding some cheer to even the darkest and coldest winter days.

Historians trace the origins of oden back to the 14 th century when grilled tofu was served with miso paste as a dish called dengaku. This gradually evolved into a skewered grilled snack of more varied ingredients called yaki-dengaku which was served with miso paste, and a stewed variety called nikomi-dengaku. Modern oden is derived from the latter dish which was sold from street stalls in 18th century Edo (modern-day Tokyo), but today it is popular all over the country with many regional variations.

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