What’s one food you’re guaranteed to see if you visit Japan in winter?
Walk into a convenience store and you’ll spot it right away. Step into an izakaya on a cold evening, and you’ll probably want to order it. It’s oden.
Unlike sushi or ramen, oden may not be as famous among tourists, but ask many Japanese people about their favorite winter food and oden will be near the top of the list.
Warm, comforting, and surprisingly healthy, oden is packed with ingredients that slowly soak up a flavorful dashi broth. With every bite, delicious savory flavors burst into your mouth.
In this article, I’ll show you what oden is, why Japanese people love it, and how you can enjoy it yourself. By the end, there’s a good chance you’ll be craving a bowl of oden.
Oden is a traditional Japanese hot pot dish that is typically cooked in a donabe, a Japanese clay pot.
Recipes vary by region, but the basic idea is the same: ingredients are slowly simmered in a flavorful dashi broth for hours. Because oden is served piping hot, it is especially popular during the cold winter months.
One of the unique things about oden is that the ingredients absorb so much flavor from the broth that they are usually eaten without any sauce. This allows you to enjoy the natural taste and texture of each ingredient. In many ways, oden perfectly represents the simplicity of Japanese cuisine.
For those who like a little heat, some people enjoy their oden with karashi, a Japanese mustard that adds a pleasant kick.
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What ‘s Inside Oden?
Classic oden ingredients include daikon radish, konjac, boiled eggs, fish cakes, mochi pouches, beef tendon, and potatoes.
Unlike many soups and stews, oden ingredients are usually cut into large pieces so each one can be enjoyed on its own.
Daikon is especially popular because it absorbs so much broth that it often changes color. Konjac and tofu become incredibly juicy, releasing flavorful dashi with every bite. Even boiled eggs take on the rich taste of the broth as they simmer.
Wondering what konjac is? It has very little flavor or aroma on its own, but it’s one of Japan’s most popular healthy foods thanks to its low calories and high fiber content.
Japanese people love oden so much that it even appears in school lunches.
One reason for its popularity is that it’s warm, comforting, and surprisingly healthy. On a cold winter day, a bowl of hot oden can warm both your body and your spirit.
Another reason is convenience. Today, many Japanese convenience stores sell freshly prepared oden throughout the winter season. It’s also easy to make at home because all you need is good dashi and enough time for the ingredients to slowly absorb the broth.
Curious about Japanese foods and healthy one? Please check out my post where I share top 3 healthy Japanese foods. You may try them!
As it slowly absorbs the broth, its texture becomes slightly firmer and more satisfying to chew. Best of all, it’s incredibly healthy. Konjac is very low in calories while being rich in dietary fiber.
That said, daikon is a close second. After simmering for hours, it becomes unbelievably juicy and flavorful.
Honestly, oden has a way of making every ingredient taste better.
At home, I use two packets of this dashi to make a rich yet gentle broth. The flavor is amazing, and once the broth is ready, all that’s left to do is let the ingredients slowly simmer and soak up the delicious taste.
I’ve bought and used this Kayanoya dashi many times, and it’s honestly one of my favorite Japanese seasonings.
It contains a blend of several ingredients, giving it a rich and well-balanced flavor that’s difficult to achieve with a single stock. The taste is deep, savory, and incredibly authentic.
One thing I especially love is how convenient it is. You can also simply tear open the packet and use the contents directly in your cooking.
I use it not only for oden, but also for fried rice, simmered dishes, and even Japanese omelets. I’ve tried many different dashi packs over the years, but this one stands out for its exceptional flavor.
Can You Make Oden at Home?
Absolutely.
While many travelers try oden at convenience stores, making it at home is one of the best ways to experience Japanese comfort food.
When you make it at home, you can enjoy oden anytime you crave it. It’s a simple and healthy dinner filled with nutritious ingredients that slowly absorb the rich flavor of dashi broth.
The secret is giving ingredients enough time to slowly absorb the broth. Daikon, konjac, eggs, and tofu all become more flavorful the longer they simmer.
In Japan, many families prepare oden in a donabe, a traditional clay hot pot.
A donabe plays an important role in making delicious oden.
Unlike a regular pot, a donabe retains heat exceptionally well. The thick clay walls allow ingredients to absorb the flavor of the broth more efficiently, helping you create flavorful oden in less time.
It’s especially useful for ingredients like daikon radish, which can take a long time to cook in an ordinary pot. In a donabe, daikon becomes wonderfully tender while soaking up the rich taste of the dashi.
This handcrafted Banko Ware donabe is made in Japan and is perfect for preparing authentic oden, nabe, and other Japanese hot pot dishes at home.
To me, oden represents the heart of Japanese cooking.
Rather than relying on strong seasonings, it highlights the natural flavors of the ingredients and the rich umami of dashi broth. Simple ingredients like daikon, konjac, tofu, and eggs become incredibly delicious after slowly soaking up the broth.
By the way, a donabe is useful for much more than just oden. I use mine to cook rice and prepare other Japanese hot pot dishes as well. A typical Japanese hot pot consists of vegetables, meat, and tofu simmered together and enjoyed with ponzu or sesame sauce. It’s healthy, comforting, and a common sight on Japanese dinner tables during winter.
If you ever visit Japan in winter, be sure to give oden a try at a convenience store. It might not be as famous as sushi or ramen, but it’s one of the foods that many Japanese people truly love.
And if you’re interested in bringing authentic Japanese flavors into your own kitchen, feel free to take a look at my storefront for some of my favorite Japanese cooking essentials.
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