Oden: Find Comfort In This Winter Food Throughout The Year

A hot bowl of Oden is the perfect winter food to warm your bellies and soul.

A hot bowl of Oden is the perfect winter food to warm your bellies and soul. (Photo from: Wiki public domain)

Imagine a steamy hot bowl of soupy stew on a cold winter day? Pure bliss. Yes, thank you Oden, for making the cold so much more bearable.

This humble one-pot dish is typically made from an assortment of tofu, fish cake, daikon (radish) and other ingredients slowly simmered in a light dashi broth. A bona fide comfort food that is affordable and so simple, yet warms the heart as much as it does your body during winter. That is probably why Oden is so well-loved by both the locals and travellers alike.

During winter, oden starts to appear everywhere, from izakayas to streetside vendors and even Japan’s famous convenience stores. Every pot is excitingly different. It is really quite a joy to poke your face near the steamy pot and choose the ingredients you want.

The warmth and aroma from an oden shop draws customers in seek of some comfort food, even during other seasons.

The warmth and aroma from an oden shop draws customers in seek of some comfort food, even during other seasons. (Photo from: jillllybean via Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0)

Oden is one of Japan’s oldest winter fast food

Trivia lovers would love this fun fact. Did you know that the origin of Oden stretches way back to around the 14th century? It started off as miso dengaku, a popular winter snack that consisted of skewered tofu grilled over charcoal and topped with miso sauce.

Come 18th century, during the Edo period (1603-1868), there were varieties of ingredients for miso dengaku, such as yum, konjac, eggplant, and so on. And some eateries had the brilliant idea to serve this grilled dengaku simmered in a broth during winter. This eventually evolved into what we know as oden today; a welcoming pot of hot stew that is kept simmering indefinitely, so that anyone can stop for a quick hot snack to warm their bellies.

The variety of ingredients sold at Oden stalls leave customers spoilt for choice. (Photo from: 広報課/CC BY-SA 4.0)

Oden Kanto-style and others from different regions

The Oden that many of us are probably familiar with is the Kanto version, with its light delicate broth made from kombu, bonito flakes and soya sauce. This is more commonly seen in Tokyo and it includes simpler ingredients such as tofu, hanpen (soft fish cake), chikuwa (a tube-shaped fish cake), daikon radish, konjac, boiled eggs and potatoes. These tasty bites will then be served in the broth, with a dollop of karashi (Japanese mustard) to elevate the flavours.

If you head over to the west, be prepared for another delicious version with richer flavours. For example, in Shizuoka and Nagoya, the broth is darker because dark soy sauce and miso is added. Oden here includes chewy beef tendon and chicken pieces, which add a rich umami depth to the stew.

Travel further up to the wintry Tohoku region and you will find another delectable variation, Aomori-style ginger miso oden. It all began with the kind intentions of a food vendor, who slathered a ginger miso paste onto oden to help take the chill off ferry passengers during Tohoku’s harsh cold winter. It was an instant hit and, today, you can find this savoury oden all over Aomori.

Ginger miso oden is a specialty of Aomori. (Photo from: あおもりくま/CC BY-SA 3.0)

Enjoy Oden all year round in your own home!

Unable to travel to Japan to savour this traditional winter food? No problem. Oden can easily be made in your own kitchen, with just a few simple ingredients. It is perfect for rainy weather or days when your body and soul need some nourishing.

Check out this easy recipe by the lovely mother-daughter duo, with suggested ingredients that can be found outside of Japan.

Oden: Find Comfort In This Winter Food Throughout The Year

Here's everything you need to know about this dish