Japan's National Snack: Oden (1)

A favorite from Aomori to Nagasaki and beyond

In Japan, when people think of winter, oden is likely to come to mind. It's known as one of Japan's favorite winter snacks, but it's so popular that people eat the steamy dish as a meal even in the summer.

Oden's Debut 
Oden is one of Japan's signature hot-pot dishes. The origin can be traced back to Japan's Muromachi period, which began in 1338. At that time oden was grilled over a fire on sticks -- this was called dengaku, also a form of dance performed on poles.

While oden is known for its great variety of ingredients, dengaku consisted only of tofu. It was not until the Edo period, 1600 to 1868, that more foods were added, and it began to be stewed.

Basic Broth
Oden's ingredients are often stewed for a long time in group or broth as opposed to the short cooking time of shabu shabu. The most common oden soup is probably dashi broth, made from dried mushrooms, dried kelp, and dried fish. Dashi broth is actually famous contributing umami,the fifth basic taste, to the cuisine.

Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: How to Pronounce Debut教學主題: Debut的發音
debut (t不發音)過去式, 進行式, 複數都要記得t不發音
/ˈdeɪˌbjuː/
首次登台之意

另一個字 debutant , t要發音
/ˈdebyəˌtänt/

Closer Look
It was not until the Edo period, 1600 to 1868, that more foods were added ...
It wasn't until [a certain time] that [something happened]. 
- Mom was busy all day and it wasn't until six that she started cooking dinner.
- It wasn't until the police found a fingerprint on the murder weapon that the suspect confessed.

Language Lab
steamy adj.
full of steam or warm, moist air
- The steamy sauna room is the most popular spot in the spa in winter.
- The employees work in steamy factories 12 hours a day.

grill v.
to cook (food) on a metal frame over fire
- The chef grilled the steak over charcoal.
- The fish and vegetables were grilled to perfection.
grill n.
a metal frame that is used to cook food over hot coals or an open fire
- Put the sausages on the grill for 15 minutes.

stew v. 小火燉煮; n. 燉菜
- Mom stewed the beef with carrots, tomatoes and onions.
- The potatoes and pork were stewed together for an hour before being served.
- Vegetable stew is grandma's favorite.

broth n.
liquid in which food (such as meat) has been cooked
- The recipe for the broth of this famous ramen remains a secret.
- Marian uses canned chicken broth when cooking.
- The vegetable broth is light, yet very tasty.

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