ZONI
Rice Cake & Vegetable Soup
Zoni derives from the belief that, by simmering the mochi served to god in the New Year together with other ingredients and thereby eating the same thing as god, people could receive divine power.
It is an essential dish for the first three days of the New Year, eaten to appreciate the previous year’s harvest and safety of one’s family.
The mochi shape, ingredients, and dashi stock vary by region.
In the Kanto region, the mochi is flavored with soy sauce, while int he Kansai region, it’s flavored with white miso.