Thursday, December 30, 2004

Toshikoshi-Soba


Toshikoshi-soba: Wishing you a long life.

This is what we eat on New Year’s eve, but I’m posting it a little earlier. On the 31st, I’ll be at my paretns’ house which is apx. 100km away from my PC.

It’s our custom to eat soba noodle soup (better not be instant one like this) on New Year’s eve, and it is called “toshikoshi-soba." Toshikoshi means “to say goodbye to the passing year and welcome the new year.” Since soba noodles are long, they are associated with ”long life,” and by eating them we wish to stay healthy in the coming year. (Don’t ask me why it has to be soba and not udon or ramen noodles which are also long.) You have to finish eating toshikoshi-soba before midnight.

I’ll eat real toshikoshi-soba at my parents’ on the 31st, and I guess my sister is going to be in charge of making it.

--------

Well, this is going to be my last post of this year.
To all readers: Thank you so much for visiting my site this year.
It has been a great year because of you.

I wish you and yours a Happy and Prosperous New Year!!!

I’ll be back on Jan. 3rd, 2005, with bunch of pics of our traditional foods for the New Year’s day :D

(If interested, visit my another blog to see my New Year's template :)

9 comments:

Reid said...

あけましておめでとうございます

Unknown said...

happy new year obachan! long and joyful life indeed. so thankful to have met you...

Ms One Boobie said...

I await your new year post.. :)

CityZoo said...

Happy New Year! I have enjoyed very much reading your writing! I posted a link to your food blog at a Chicago bulletin board about food. It's at www.lthforum.com.

pinkcocoa said...

明けましておめでとう~
Yoi otoshi o~
;-)

Fish Fish said...

Obachan, belated new year greeting from fish fish. I made my own 年越しそば too this year. With lots of stuffs. Very nice. I think I will hv it for every New Year eve from now. ;)

obachan said...

Hey everyone, I’m back!! Happy New Year!! Thanks for your comments and greetings. It’s so nice to be back and see all these nice comments waiting for me :D Wonderful start of the year 2005 indeed!!

> Reid ---あけましておめでとうございます。 Thanks for the greeting in Japanese! 今年もよろしく。(My first cooking experiment this year would probably be your arare cookie.)

> drstel --- I wish you a long and exciting life, too ;) Thank you for being my good blog friend.

> MrsTweety --- It’s coming soon. Be there!!

> Natasha --- Happy New Year and thanks for the link. Hope you keep coming back :)

> pinkcocoa --- 今年もよろしく。I wish you an ultra-sweet new year ;)

> fish fish --- Enjoyed Japanese omisoka and new year's day? It must be really cold in Kyoto now!

purplegirl said...

Happy New Year! -- we do the same thing in the Philippines: eat noodles on new years and birthdays. we have this noodle dish called Pancit which is similar to the Chinese lo mein.

i love soba. i know it's probably Americanized but ten-zaru soba is my fave. Japanese food is my (and hubby's) absolute favorite and we are always on the quest for good Japanese restaurants everywhere we go. of course, the best we've tasted is at the Hotel Nikko in Tokyo. the breakfast was amazing!

we also used to take JAL but they don't fly to our city anymore. we now have to catch it via Chicago which is quite an inconvenience.

obachan said...

Hmmm, it’s so interesting that we have similar customs. I’d like to taste Pancit someday. Breakfast at the Hotel Nikko in Tokyo?! Lucky you! I’m a Japanese but I’ve never been there yet… (sob!)