How to Cook Kuromame for Osechi, Traditional Japanese Foods for New Year Holiday

 

        New Year's holiday is just around the corner!

        During New Year's holiday, people in Japan eat Osechi (おせち), Osechi Ryori (おせち料理). Osechi is a collection of lucky foods such as chikuzenni, kuromame, kamaboko and so on. 

My Osechi Ryori in 2023

           As I mentioned in my previous entry, What I Ate Traditional Japanese Foods for This New Year's Holidays, this year, I cooked this kuromame (黒豆, くろまめ), sweetened black soybeans, as our Osechi for my first time. I thought that it would be difficult, but it was easier than I expected. However, it took about four hours. Yet, I really love my first kuromame. It was nice and soft, and its sweetness was just right.

          The reason why kuromame is one of the osechi ryori is that mame (まめ) represents good health in the New Year. One of Japanese proverbs has "mame ni kurasu" (まめに暮らす) meaning to live well and to be in good health.  Today, I'm going to share with how to cook kuromame for osechi.

 

Ingredients (10 Servings)

200g of Kuromame (黒豆), Japanese Black Soybeans

3 Cups of Water

2 Teaspoons of Baking Soda

200g of Sugar

2 Teaspoons of Soy Sauce

600ml of Water

 1. Rinse black soybeans with water thoroughly.

 

 

 

 2. Put black soybeans , 3 cups of water, and baking soda in a bowl. Microwave it without plastic wrap for 10 minutes.

 

 

 

 3. Then, cover it with plastic wrap. Leave it for 2 hours.

 4. Drain the water. Rinse it with water lightly.

 

 

5. Put sugar, soy sauce and water in a saucepan. Heat it over medium high heat. When it starts boiling, add black soybeans.

 Place the drop lid (I used the paper towel as a drop lid.) and simmer it over low heat for 20 minutes.

 

 

 6. Check the bean if it's fully cooked.  Turn off the heat, cover the lid and let it cool in room temperature.

 

 

 

7. Enjoy! 

 

 You can store them in refrigerator for 7 days.

 

 

 

 

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