Simmered, Skewered and Mysterious
Oden おでん is a popular hot pot dish often consumed in winter in Japan. Depending on the region sometimes the ingredients are skewered and simmered in the broth and then eaten almost like Yakitori (grilled meat on skweres) This hearty stew/broth typically consists of daikon radish, konnyaku (yam gelatin), fish cakes, potatoes, fried tofu, vegetables and boiled eggs as common ingredients. Recipes can vary depending on households and regions. The hot pot dish needs to be simmered 2 to 4 hours in preparation to get the flavors absorbed. Therefore, oden can be found under the categories of nimono 煮物 (simmered dish) or nabe 鍋 (hot pot dish) in restaurant menus.
Basic Varieties
In Tokyo and most of kanto area, soup stock for oden is made with boiling dried seaweed or kombu 昆布 and dried katsuo flakes in a large pot of hot water. Tokyo oden started out as a meatless dish. With limitless supply of fresh fish from Tsukiji market, oden has now evolved into different seafood specialities, especially in restaurants and izakaya around Tsukiji market. In Aomori prefecture, grated ginger is mixed with miso sauce and poured over oden before serving; a recipe derived from oden sold at street stalls or yatai 屋台. In Shizuoka, soup stock is seasoned with dark soy sauce. Beef tendon, chicken, kurohanpen 黒はんぺん (fish cake made from sardines and mackerel) and potatoes are often used. Aoba Oden Street, a restaurant street with a post-war theme, offers ample tasting opportunities of Shizuoka’s dark oden. In Okinawa, pig feet simmered in pork-based broth is the local oden speciality.
History of Oden
Oden is said to have originated around 14th century during Muromachi period. It started out as dengaku 田楽 , skewered grilled tofu topped with miso sauce. As time passed, “dengaku” became shortened to “den” with the honorific “o” in front of the name; hence “oden”. Tofu stew gained popularity during Edo period and eventually konnyaku, eggs and other ingredients were added in the preparation after Meiji times. Oden was first served in street stalls. It is now widely available in izakaya, restaurants, convenience stores and canned products in vending machines.
Make Oden at Home
Oden is simple to prepare. Although oden recipes vary regionally, most start with boiling kombu in water. Next, peel and cut daikon radish. Place in water and let simmer for about an hour. Add potatoes, hard boiled eggs, fish cakes, tofu, konnyaku and the rest of the ingredients. Cook for 20 minutes or until desired time. Add soy sauce to taste. The longer the simmering the better the flavor. Prepare mustard (karashi 芥子) to be mixed into broth and serve with sake. This is the basic recipe for making oden. Ingredients are readily available at most supermarkets. Prepackaged sets can often be purchased at grocery stores. If you are super short on time, try to find the canned oden in vending machines and add more ingredients as desired.
Seasonal Discoveries
Oden is a light and easily digestible Japanese stew, very warming in the cold winter months. The savory flavor goes well with rice, noodles and sake. This comfort food can be enjoyed solo or with a group of friends. Oden is widely available in restaurants, izakaya and convenience stores.
Book a tour with Arigato Japan Food Tours to try seasonal foods this winter.
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FAQs
It has a light brown (beef-broth-looking) stock and a soy sauce-forward, sweet taste! Sometimes, oden is called Japanese fish-cake soup or fish-ball soup. This makes a lot of sense, considering the most widely available version relies on various shapes and flavors of fish cake for its unique look and taste!
Is oden a real dish? ›
Oden is a type of nabemono, or one-pot dish, that's traditionally cooked in a donabe (clay pot) and features Japanese fish cakes, konnyaku, tofu, and vegetables in a savory broth. Oden is a popular street food in Japan—particularly in the winter—and a common side dish at udon restaurants.
What is the taste of oden? ›
Oden has a rich and savoury taste, primarily derived from its dashi-based broth, which is seasoned with soy sauce and other flavours. The ingredients like daikon radish absorb the broth becoming juicy and tender, while fish cakes add a chewy texture.
What does oden mean in Japanese? ›
Oden is a type of Japanese stew with traditional ingredients such as daikon radish, chikuwa, hanpen, tsumire, ganmodoki, konnyaku, etc.
Is Japanese oden healthy? ›
Oden is a simple Japanese stew that's light and easily digestible, making it perfect to eat during treatment. Kombu is a type of seaweed used in this recipe, and it is full of minerals.
How do you eat oden? ›
How to Eat Oden. Since oden is made with many ingredients, take your favorite ingredients from the large pot and cut them into small pieces with chopsticks and eat with the soup stock. If you like, you can add spices such as Japanese mustard or shichimi pepper.
Is oden like Hotpot? ›
The original version of oden (a Japanese-style hotpot) was created in the Edo period (1603–1867), based on dengaku-dofu, a popular dish in the Muromachi period (1333–1573). It became a part of a homemade meal during the time of Japan's economic miracle, adding a touch of color to family gatherings.
Is oden served hot or cold? ›
Oden is a Warming and Nourishing Japanese Hot Pot
It's popular as an accompaniment to alcohol, and although most commonly eaten as a warming comfort food in cooler months, oden can also be found in summer as hiyashi oden, which is served chilled.
What is oden food in English? ›
Oden (おでん) or Japanese fish cake stew is a warm and comforting dinner to share with family and friends when the weather turns cold. It can be made in large quantities at once so it's a perfect dish for gatherings.
Why is oden so important? ›
Oden cared greatly for his retainers and the citizens of Wano. He saved the Flower Capital and its citizens from the Mountain God despite the fact that the citizens threw stones at him and insulted him when he appeared.
Oden is usually very cheap, with prices ranging from 65 to 100 yen a piece. Plus the boiled ingredients can be a welcome break from fried foods!
What gender is oden? ›
Yamato greatly admires the legendary samurai Kouzuki Oden to the point of even proclaiming to carry his identity. Yamato has self-identified as Oden on multiple occasions and has even emulated his gender, proclaiming to be the son of Kaidou due to Oden being a man.
What's the difference between ramen and oden? ›
Oden has a mild, comforting flavor from its simmered ingredients. Its texture is tender from soaking up the broth flavors. Ramen, however, has a bolder taste and umami from ingredients like miso or soy sauce.
What sauce to eat with oden? ›
The most common dipping sauce is karashi, a slightly spicy Japanese mustard. Another popular dipping sauce is yuzu kosho, a paste made of yuzu fruit and chili peppers. Read more about Yuzu here! Some people also enjoy soy sauce and miso to dip with their oden.
What is the jelly in oden? ›
Konnyaku is obviously one of the most important oden ingredients, yet it is a mystery to foreign tasters. Known also as “Devil's Tongue”, konnyaku has the consistency of firm jelly, and only a slight, almost fishy flavor.
Oden is said to have originated around 14th century during Muromachi period. It started out as dengaku 田楽 , skewered grilled tofu topped with miso sauce. As time passed, “dengaku” became shortened to “den” with the honorific “o” in front of the name; hence “oden”. Tofu stew gained popularity during Edo period and eventually konnyaku, eggs and other ingredients were added in the preparation after Meiji times. Oden was first served in street stalls. It is now widely available in izakaya, restaurants, convenience stores and canned products in vending machines.
Oden is simple to prepare. Although oden recipes vary regionally, most start with boiling kombu in water. Next, peel and cut daikon radish. Place in water and let simmer for about an hour. Add potatoes, hard boiled eggs, fish cakes, tofu, konnyaku and the rest of the ingredients. Cook for 20 minutes or until desired time. Add soy sauce to taste. The longer the simmering the better the flavor. Prepare mustard (karashi 芥子) to be mixed into broth and serve with sake. This is the basic recipe for making oden. Ingredients are readily available at most supermarkets. Prepackaged sets can often be purchased at grocery stores. If you are super short on time, try to find the canned oden in vending machines and add more ingredients as desired. 
