Zoni(Rice Cake Soup)*** (Xpst31A)

* Exported from MasterCook *

ZONI (RICE CAKE SOUP)*** (XPST31A)

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Ethnic Soups

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 c Chicken -- (white meat only)
1 t Cornstarch
1 ea Kamaboko -- (fish or ham gelat
1 ea Carrot
3 ea Oriental Taro
1/2 c Dashi
1/2 ts Shoyu
1/2 ts Salt
1/2 ea Spinach or Watercress
1 x Yuzu skin -- (1emon or lime sk
12 ea Mochi (rice cake)
6 c Dashi
1 tb Shoyu

C T salt Gail some time ago you requested some
information about Ozoni the Japanese National Dish for
New Years. There are probably as many recipes for Zoni
as there are cooks busy preparing the dish but they
are all fairly similar. Slice the chicken very thin
and sprinkle with the cornstarch. Then pound the
chicken with the back of a knife to enlarge the
pieces. Boil in water for 5 minutes Slice the Kamaboko
into 6 pieces 1/4 inch thick Slice the carrot into
thin slices and after peeling the taro slice them into
thin round slices. Boil the carrots and taro in 1/2 C
of dashi. When soft add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp
shoyu. Boil the spinach or watercress in hot water
being sure to remove them from the boiling water when
still very green. Cut the greens into 1 inch lengths.
Slice the Yazu into thin strips to represent pine
needles. Toast the Rice cakes. Boil 6 cups of dashi
and flavor with the 1 tbs. salt and the 1 Tbs. shoyu.
Add the Kamaboko, carrots , taro and the greens. Place
two pieces of the toasted Mochi, two slices of the
chicken, 1 slice of the carrot, 2 slices of taro, 1
slice of the kamaboko and a little of the greens in
each of six bowls Pour the hot soup over them and then
float the yazu needles on the top. Naturally any good
Japanese family in Japan would have had a drink of the
special TOSO wine prior to the Zoni. With the master
of the house drinking first, then the mistress
followed by the children and the the servants last.
This wine laced with medicinal herbs and spices is
believed to have disease dispelling qualities and is
similar to the wines served on New Years by several
other countries in the world. Fuku-cha is another
manditory item in their New Years (it is the tea of
Good fortune) and can either be green tea or seaweed
tea which is served in tiny cups with a pickled plum
in each of the cups as a protection from illness
during the coming year. These formal ritualistic
observances of the New Year are becomming less common
throughout Japan now that they have had so much of the
Western influence however in the rural areas they are
still followed religiously. It is a shame to see some
of these interesting observences gradually
disappearing due to the influence of the western world.
: Aloha.....Kapena FROM: THEODORE SEDGWICK
(XPST31A)



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