Plan in Advance

Your days are unpredictable while moving. While you can’t always plan for schedule changes in advance, you can plan for access to healthful food choices. If you have a longer stay in a hotel, look for one with a kitchenette or, at the very least, a refrigerator and microwave. You may not be able to prepare proper meals this way, but you will have healthier options than fast food, delivery pizza or a hotel restaurant for all of your meals.

Research

Are you staying in a hotel? Look online to find nearby grocery stores. Once you have checked in, head there to pick up essentials: whole-grain bread, low-sodium deli meats, whole-grain breakfast cereals, fruit, prepackaged salad greens, low-fat yogurt, string cheese, hard-boiled eggs, nuts and nut butters. I’ve found these are some quick and easy options that work well in a hotel room or temporary living facility. Frozen foods and some convenience foods may be a good option, too, but be sure to read food labels and check for sodium and saturated fat, both of which can add up fast in prepackaged meals. Remember, it may not be easy to make the healthiest choices when moving, but it can still be possible to make good choices.

On the Move

For long-distance travel by car or plane, come prepared with snacks and meals. Bring items that don’t need refrigeration, such as single-serve packages of nuts, dried fruit and nut butters to pair with whole-grain crackers and hummus. If you’re moving internationally, make sure the fruit you pack is allowed through border control. For those moving by road, many rest stops have begun meeting consumer demand for healthy options, but not every stop is sure to offer them. Bring a cooler with ice packs in the car and stock it full of your favorite healthy choices. When mealtimes roll around, pull over for a picnic. It’ll beat picking the nearest drive-thru when everyone in the car realizes they are hungry.

Stay Hydrated

It’s always important, but especially so during a stressful period. It’s easy to forget to drink fluids when you are trying to coordinate so much at once, so planning to refill a water bottle often is important. If you are traveling by car, pack a few large water bottles and refill them whenever you stop. For air travel, take an empty reusable water bottle with you through security and fill it once as you walk to your gate. Then, while your plane is in flight, drink water regularly.

During a move, when your kitchen gear and workout clothes are packed away in boxes, diet and exercise habits are bound to change. But you don’t have to give up on a healthy lifestyle altogether. With a little planning you can get around unhealthy pitfalls and concentrate on your life’s newest chapter.

And, if there's one time of year when I rely on those care packages from home, it is Passover. Jewish holidays can be tricky to prepare for when you live abroad, especially when you don't live near a Jewish community. And since I live in rural northern Japan, my options for kosher foods are limited!

I have access to many naturally Passover-friendly foods such as fruits, veggies, fish (I don't eat meat or poultry) and quinoa. While that does the trick for most nights of the Passover holiday, there are always those nights where I am looking for more of a comfort food – something that both reminds me of home and fits in the dietary rules of Passover. Since I usually end up eating less carbohydrates than usual (trust me, there is only so much matzo one person can eat in a week), those comfort foods that I miss during Passover focus on carbohydrates. Of course, it isn't easy to come up with recipes that I can easily prepare here in Japan. It takes some creativity and making use of the things my family members send me from back home. 

Thankfully, my family can send me Passover noodles.

Passover usually falls at a time of year where we are still getting snow here. That's what inspired me to make a cheesy mac and cheese dish that works for Passover. As a child, we always had mac and cheese on snow days when we stayed home from school. It brings back fond memories every time I enjoy mac and cheese on a snowy day. Since no meal in my house is complete without veggies, I made sure to find a couple that would go nicely with this dish. 

Easy Veggie Passover Mac and Cheese

Recipe by Melinda Boyd, MPG, MHR, RD

Ingredients
1 to 2 tablespoons oil
1½ cups chopped mushrooms
1 large zucchini, diced
1 eggplant, diced
1 to 2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 to 2 teaspoons black pepper
1 cup dry macaroni or similar noodle (kosher for Passover)
1 cup extra sharp cheddar, divided
Red pepper flakes (if desired)

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, add mushrooms, zucchini and eggplant. Cover and allow to cook down. Stir occasionally.
2. Once some of the liquid has cooked out of the vegetables, add the garlic powder and black pepper. Continue to stir occasionally.
3. While the vegetables are cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta, using directions on the package.
4. Once pasta is cooked, drain and return to pot or mixing bowl. Add half the cheese and mix, so that the cheese melts and blends with the pasta.
5. Add half the vegetables to the pasta and cheese, and stir.
6. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes if desired to add additional flavor.
7. Add the remaining cheese and vegetables, stirring to allow the cheese to melt and the noodles and vegetables to become mixed well. Serves 4.

Kiwis were originally known as Chinese gooseberries until 1959 when they were renamed the kiwifruit by New Zealand growers who started exporting them to the U.S. Consumption of kiwis in the States has continued to increase since the 1980s. I grew up eating kiwis and these have and always will be my favorite fruit. When I was younger, my friends all thought I was strange to eat such a unique-looking fruit, but I knew one day they would all know what I already knew … the kiwifruit is delicious! 

Kiwis are also known for being a nutritional standout. A serving is two medium-sized fruit, but even just one provides a lot of good nutrients. One kiwi has just more than 100 percent of your daily vitamin C needs. This is perfect in wintertime to help keep your immune system strong. Each fruit has two grams of fiber — lots of it in the skin, which by the way is edible and loaded with nutrients. Many people have no idea the skin is edible — go ahead and give it a try the next time you are enjoying a kiwi.

I know many people think of kiwis as a summertime or tropical fruit. The good news is that they can be enjoyed year-round. And with National Kiwifruit Day taking place just before Christmas, here is a recipe to help you include kiwi in your holiday treats. This is kid-friendly and can easily work as a festive healthy treat for the holidays. 

Holiday Kiwi Grahams

Recipe developed by Melinda Boyd, MPH, MHR, RD

Serves 4; two squares per serving

Ingredients
8 graham cracker squares (honey or chocolate)
6 ounces plain Greek yogurt
2 kiwi fruits, peeled and diced
1-2 ounces dried cranberries

Directions

1. Top each graham cracker square with Greek yogurt followed by kiwi and cranberries. It’s that easy!

When I think of apples, I think of autumn. I think of the leaves changing and cooler temperatures, and I also think of sweet apple treats such as apple juice, brownies, pie and dried apple pieces. But there are also some savory apple treats — definitely fewer in variety than the sweet treats, but they do exist. One of these dishes is apple curry. Although I haven’t seen this served on any menus (full disclosure: I don’t read Japanese so it could be served on menus, but I wouldn’t likely know!), I have found it in ready-to-heat packages in stores throughout the prefecture.

Japanese curry is a little different from curry found in other parts of Asia. You may be familiar with Indian curries or Thai versions — Japanese curry is more like a thick brown gravy, usually with some vegetables and a meat. I think it looks more like an American beef stew, but the sauce is thicker and it is served on a plate with rice. This dish is very hearty and satisfying, which is perfect for days when the temperatures are getting lower. It’s actually one of the more popular Japanese dishes, but lesser known than foods like sushi, soba and tempura.

Since apple season has been picking up again here in Japan, I decided to recreate apple curry at home. I didn’t add any meat to my version, but it would work well with either beef or pork if you felt like it needed a protein boost. If adding meat, cut back on the amount of sweet potato in the recipe. For vegetarians, tofu is an option, but I think seitan or tempeh may be a better choice because of the texture. For the apple, I went with Fuji, and I used a Japanese sweet potato known as satusuma, but the more common American kinds will work well, too (although may require longer cooking time). Check your local Asian market or the Asian aisle in your grocery store to find the S&B Golden Curry sauce mix.

Japanese Apple Curry

Recipe developed by Melinda Boyd, MPH, MHR, RD

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons oil
1 pound sweet potatoes, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium (Fuji or similar) apples, cut into bite sized pieces
2 ½ cups water
1 package Golden Curry Sauce Mix (S&B brand or similar)
2 cups cooked brown rice

Directions

1. Heat oil in a skillet. Add sweet potato and onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
2. As the vegetables start to soften, add the apples. Continue cooking for 3 minutes.
3. Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. If including meat, simmer for 10 minutes (as per directions on the curry sauce box).
4. Break the curry block into pieces and add to the skillet. Stir in well, making sure that the curry has completely dissolved.
5. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. The sauce will thicken.
6. Serve over rice.

Making healthy and fun packed lunches helps ensure kids anywhere are not only getting the nutrients they need, but that they will be happy to eat what you packed. If you have an international market nearby or live near an area with a Japanese population, you should be able to find some of the fun tools the Japanese use for their children. This includes little liners to fill with kid-sized portions of food, cutouts of grass and flowers to stick between the liners, punch tools to cut shapes out of nori paper and place on top of rice, and molds to use for rice balls and eggs. 

Yes, I said molds. This is probably one of my favorite things I've seen in Japanese bento lunches. Molds range from hearts and stars to animal shapes — bunny, bear, etc. After the egg is boiled, while still hot, it's inserted into the mold. Once sealed the mold is placed in cold water for about 10 minutes to chill and take shape. For animal shapes, I prefer to keep the egg whole, but for stars and hearts I like to cut eggs in half so you can see both the white and the yellow. 

These are super fun for kids, but can be easily enjoyed by adults, too. One other fun adult way to enjoy these is to make deviled eggs in a shape, like hearts for Valentine’s Day. The molds can be found online or in Japanese stores. Check them out for a fun new way to serve eggs to your kids and make lunch time fun.

And, as always, make sure to include whole grains, lean proteins, low-fat dairy (unless there are allergies or other reasons to exclude it), fruits and colorful veggies.

Then we moved to Japan. My belief that seaweed was gross continued as we were getting settled. If I was served miso soup with seaweed, I would fish it out with my chopsticks. If I was served a seaweed salad, I would send it over to my husband.

But then something changed. I became more familiar with Japanese culture. I was more adventurous in trying Japanese foods. Before I knew it, I tried the seaweed floating in my miso soup … and I liked it! I was amazed to realize it was very different from nori. This seaweed — wakame, commonly found in seaweed salad and soup — had a different flavor and texture. Most of the time if you are served seaweed in Japan it is wakame.

The other common type is kombu, which is a thicker seaweed used to provide flavor in dashi, the common Japanese broth found in many dishes, including miso soup and tamagoyaki (Japanese omelet).

The last type of seaweed that I have come across in Japan is known as mozuku. It has sort of a slimy texture so I will admit to passing on trying it the first few times I was offered this at a market. Thankfully, a relentless older Japanese woman made me try it one day. It was a lot sweeter than I expected and definitely easier to chew and swallow. After that experience, I can honestly say I am a fan of edible seaweed. This definitely pleases me because not only am I more accepting of our host country now, but seaweed provides so many nutrients that I would hate to miss!

Udon Seaweed Soup

Recipe developed by Melinda Boyd, MPH, MHR, RD

Serves 2

Ingredients
4 cups dashi, soy or miso broth*
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 cups cooked udon noodles
1 ounce dried wakame (rehydrated)

Directions

1. Heat dashi or other broth until boiling, reduce heat to medium and add cooked noodles. Cook for about 5 minutes. Split into 2 bowls and top with the seaweed.
2. There are many variations, so consider adding mushrooms, carrots or any veggies that you like. Tofu makes a nice addition as well. You may also consider adding fresh grated ginger or additional miso paste to suit your palate.

Notes

• *There are many dashi recipes available online, or it can be purchased from an Asian market. This is a traditional broth made from kombu seaweed and dried bonito.
• Udon noodles can be found in many Asian markets and grocery stores with Asian food sections. They are sold both frozen or cooked (vacuum packed).
• The wakame comes freeze-dried. There should be directions for rehydrating on the package, but if not, soaking for 5 minutes in water is usually sufficient.

If this sounds like you, then you might be surprised to learn that ramen is one of the most popular foods in Japan.

Although Japan does have a hefty selection of pre-packaged, dried ramen ready for boiling water and a seasoning packet, fresh ramen can be found everywhere. By everywhere, I mean just about every place you can think of, including tiny alleyways solely dedicated to ramen shops. The best ramen shops have only a few tables, typically no English menu, and a line out the door — at least in Japan's larger cities.

Wondering what makes this ramen different? First, the noodles are fresh. Not every shop makes them from scratch, but the more famous shops and some in larger cities will hand-make the noodles. The broth provides the essential flavor. Typical broth flavors are pork, miso, soy or salt. All are meat-based, although sometimes you can find fish stock. These are all very high in sodium, but for the most part, the Japanese don’t drink the broth — at least not all of it.

The next difference is vegetables. A fresh bowl of ramen will come with plenty of them: seaweed, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, leeks, scallions and sometimes other green veggies. Lastly, there is some protein. The most common way to serve ramen is with a slice of pork. Other options include a soft-boiled egg or fish paste/cake. Some will have tofu, although this is primarily fried. As you can see, this is very different from what most Americans know as ramen.

Maybe what you need this winter is a nice, steaming bowl of Japanese comfort food. I know for me, when the snow is coming down here in Japan, sitting in a tiny ramen shop, slurping (oh yes, we slurp here) on a hot bowl of ramen certainly hits the spot.

My suggestion, as winter is now upon us, is to try making your own healthier version of ramen. Check out a nearby Asian market or specialty store and look for fresh ramen noodles. Create your own broth, then fill with green veggies, bamboo shoots, a little kelp, and top it all off with your favorite protein. It may not be entirely authentic, but I bet you will start to understand what all the hype is about when people talk about Japanese ramen.

Hummus, a Middle Eastern favorite, has made its way to the U.S. and hit big with mainstream taste buds. While there are a few Middle Eastern/Israeli restaurants in Japan, this type of cuisine hasn't caught on big here. But just because Japan doesn’t offer up a lot of dipping opportunities beyond your standard sushi in the soy sauce doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a dip packed with Japanese flavors. That’s what inspired me to make my own Japanese style dip.

While the garbanzo bean gets all the credit with many hummus variations out there — and I can see why, since it's both delicious and nutritious — it isn’t the only bean out there. One bean that the Japanese love is the soybean. Edamame is the immature soybean, green in color and typically served in the pod — in fact, edamame is so popular and common in Japan that we even grow it in our garden. 

So why go with edamame? Soybeans are nutritional powerhouses packed with protein. It is, in fact, a complete protein source, which is rare for a plant food. Add in the benefit of the soy content and fiber, and it's a perfect choice for a dip. To stick with the Japanese theme, I added in some ginger and miso. And actually, this dip does borrow one ingredient from your classic hummus — sesame.  Hummus uses tahini, which is a sesame “butter.” Knowing that this flavor pairs well with Japanese food, the tahini seemed like a natural fit. 

Japanese cuisine is simple — you can taste all of the ingredients used in cooking the food, which is why I love this delicious dip. The sesame, ginger and miso flavors shine through. Next time you have a craving for a tasty dip, try something different. You won’t be sorry!

Miso Ginger Edamame “Hummus”

Recipe by Melinda Boyd, MPH, MHR, RD

Ingredients
2 cups frozen, shelled edamame
1/3 cup water
1 TBSP fresh grated ginger
1 TBSP sesame oil
1 TBSP miso paste
¼ cup tahini

Instructions

1. Boil or steam the frozen edamame according to the directions on the package.
2. In a food processor, combine the (drained) edamame with the other ingredients.
3. Blend until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.
4. Serve chilled. Garnish with sesame seeds or nori.

First, a little backstory: I love mushrooms, but my husband is not the biggest fan. In a moment of pure fate, he gave me a cookbook on Japanese cooking for a holiday gift. We were living in the Azores where Japanese food doesn’t really exist, but he knew I would be interested in the cookbook (let’s face it, the pictures were amazing — how could I not be interested?). One recipe was for a dish using more varieties of mushroom than I can count on one hand. I sighed and said, “Where on earth am I ever going to find the ingredients needed to make this?” The next day, my husband found out that he had orders to Japan — a mushroom lover’s heaven!

My first few weeks in Japan were filled with trips to the grocery store. Knowing Japan has tons of mushrooms, I still never expected to see that all grocery stores had such a large mushroom section. I mean entire refrigerated cases. I'm sure many locals thought it was funny to see an American in their rural neighborhood supermarket, standing, staring and drooling over the mushroom display.

The more popular ones in Japan are enoki, shiitake, maitake and one of my favorites, eringi (also know as king trumpet). Shiitakes have become quite common in the U.S., but you may be less familiar with enoki and eringi. The best way to prepare these is with an Asian flair, so season using typical Asian flavors. Soy sauce is always a go-to Asian flavor (although high in sodium, so don’t overdo it), but don’t forget about sesame, miso and garlic. Both of these mushrooms are not as flavorful as others and have different textures than most, but they can make a really nice addition to your meals. 

Mushrooms have long been a meat replacement for vegetarians, but more people seem to be catching on to this meatless substitution as a tasty way to remove higher-calorie, higher-fat meats. One of my favorites is grilled eringi lightly seasoned with black pepper. Personally, I like the taste, but the texture can get a bit chewy. The eringi mushroom is big and meaty, absorbing other flavors well. Other great uses include mushroom risotto, mushroom omelet, and stir fried with eggplant and string beans. Any time you would typically use a portabella, try using eringi instead.

Enoki is very different from most mushrooms you have probably seen: long and thin strands, all connected in a bunch at the bottom, and more white than brown in color. I often find these served in soup. Sitting in the broth for so long can soften them up a little. You could also use them as a substitute for pasta. Since they come in long strands and hold up well in a sauce, these make a low calorie, nutritious alternative to pasta. I’ll confess, I have never tried them with an Italian tomato sauce, but I have tried them with Asian sauces and topped with lots of veggies, like eggplant, bok choy, broccoli and carrots.

Other ideas for using the many varieties of Japanese mushrooms include mushroom soup, layered in lasagna, stir fried with tofu and green veggies, added to miso soup, on top of soba noodles, or even raw in a salad. Whatever way you like to enjoy your mushrooms, these Japanese varieties—if you come across them—are sure to make your dish stand out.

You may not know a lot about Japanese dining etiquette. Most Japanese probably don't know everything about dining American-style, either. But there are a few things you should know before the next time you visit your favorite Japanese restaurant (or, if you are lucky, before visiting Japan).

Chopsticks 101

The biggest part of Japanese dining etiquette involves the use of chopsticks. While you might have had good practice using chopsticks to pick up your food, there is a lot more to it than just avoiding dropping food all over the table and floor. Here are four basic Japanese "rules" when it comes to using chopsticks:

1. Don't use the chopsticks like a sword and "spear" your food. The Japanese consider this behavior rude. If the food is too difficult to pick up (this happens often with slippery foods), go ahead and use a fork instead.
2. Let's say you have picked up a piece of food and want to give it to someone else dining with you. Instead of handing it off — having the other person use their chopsticks to take it from within your chopsticks — just move the food from plate to plate. It is considered rude to pass food from one set of chopsticks to another.
3. Family-style dishes and sharing is common with Asian food. Just make sure to take your portion without offending anyone. If no serving utensil is provided, use your chopsticks to move food to your plate. Use the larger end if you are dining with people you don't know well; you can use the thinner end when with close friends and family. Do not just eat off the larger serving dishes.
4. Finally — and this is the big one — never stick your chopsticks into your bowl of rice! This is considered very rude, especially if you stick them in standing straight up. This is what is done during a ceremony to honor the dead, so this is definitely not good to do in any Japanese restaurant.

More Japanese Dining Etiquette Tips

Chopsticks aren't the only way to eat food in a Japanese restaurant. Here are three more tips to help you have a more authentic Japanese dining experience.

1. Soup served in a small bowl, such as miso soup, which is typically served at the start of most Japanese meals, doesn't need to be eaten using a spoon. Instead, you may bring the bowl close to your mouth and drink it.
2. For soup served in larger bowls — often containing noodles such as ramen, soba and udon — use the spoon provided for the broth. When eating the noodles, slurp away! Loud slurping may be rude in the U.S., but in Japan it is considered rude not to slurp. Oh, and don't forget to use your chopsticks to get the noodles into your mouth.
3. It is also acceptable to bring your small bowl of food close to your face to eat, instead of bending your head down to get closer to your plate. For example, rice is a very common food to eat in Japan and is usually served in a small side bowl. Rice isn't always easy to eat with chopsticks, so moving the bowl closer to you means less distance between the bowl and your mouth.

When Dinner Has Ended

If you really enjoyed your meal, there are a few ways you let the chef, owner, server or host know. First, if the server comes by and asks how the food is and you think it tastes really good, say, "Oishi desu." (Note, the "u" is silent). This means, "It's delicious."

The second phrase to know — and I know this is a mouthful — is for the end of the meal. As you are leaving, say, "Gochisosama deshita." (Note, the "i" in deshita is not pronounced, and the first word is pronounced "Go-chee-so-sama."). Basically, this is a polite way to thank them for the meal.

While these tips are good etiquette for dining in Japan, most Japanese restaurant owners and servers in the U.S. don't expect American diners to be experts in their culture. I am sure they don't all find it rude or offensive when Americans do something that doesn't fit with their dining etiquette. After all, how can we all be experts in every single culture out there? But knowing these few easy tips can help you show respect for the Japanese culture and have a more authentic dining experience.

In the end, whether the restaurant is American, Japanese or any other culture, just knowing a few basic tips for that culture's etiquette will take you a long way. Food is central to cultures, religions and our social nature. It provides nourishment and the foundation of good health, but it also provides a foundation to our relationships with those similar to us, and those who are different. Don't take for granted all that you can learn from trying different foods from different cultures and learning how to be polite when eating a cuisine that is foreign to you.

After visiting over 10 non-English speaking countries, I have picked up a few tricks and tips for getting what I want—and, more importantly, avoiding what I don’t want.

I won’t go in to my specific dietary needs, but for you this could range from a preference to a religious food practices, all the way to severe allergies. The stress of not knowing how or what to order can result in not wanting to travel at all. The good news is that it doesn’t need to be that stressful, and many countries now have a good understanding of things like vegetarian or gluten-free. You just need to know a little about the country and culture before you even leave home.

First, research the traditional foods of the country. Look up what ingredients are traditionally in those foods and see if these are things you can include in your diet or wish to leave out. For example, ramen in Japan is traditionally made with a pork broth. Even if you order vegetable ramen or soy sauce ramen, the broth will have been cooked with pork, even if you order it without sliced pork on top. This is considered “vegetarian” because you can’t see the pork. So knowing this in advance means you will be better prepared to either avoid ramen altogether or go armed with a Japanese phrase card to ask if they have any prepared with a vegetable or fish broth (I have personally found ramen I can eat without the pork), rather than just asking if it is “vegetarian.” Since some religions prohibit the consumption of pork, knowing if the country you intend to visit uses pork in traditional dishes can also help avoid a stressful situation.

Second, learn some basics of the language before heading to a new country. Food words are often easy because you can use them without forming a whole sentence and the person will often know what you are asking for. This can be helpful because sometimes phrasing a whole question can lead to getting a response that is beyond your understanding in that language. It is also helpful to know basic phrases that show politeness and respectfulness in the culture you’re visiting. For example, knowing how to say, “Excuse me,” “Thank you,” and, “Please,” can go a long way in getting help finding foods that you can eat.

Third, come armed with phrases that can help you get what you need or ensure you are getting things the way you want. Having a printed out card is useful. And with Google Translate it is easy to make these cards up at home. You may also be able to purchase them online. Another option—and this is the one I do most often because I have an iPhone—is access Google Translate on your phone. If you know you will have internet access in advance, just having Google Translate available is helpful, but if you will not have internet access (unless you find WiFi), type the phrases you want to have on hand in advance and then take a photo/screen shot of these and store in your phone. These photos of the phrases are easily accessible and come in handy. I have had a lot of success communicating with wait staff to make sure my meals come just the way I want.

Fourth, research restaurants in advance. A lot of the fun of being in a foreign country is exploring. You can find great, off-the-beaten-path dining options just by getting lost. However, planning a few meals in advance can alleviate the stress of having special dietary needs in a foreign land. Find restaurants that are near you hotel and the major sights you plan to visit. This way, if you really can’t find something around, you will always have a backup plan that you know will meet your dietary needs.

Finally, when in doubt, always carry a snack with you just in case you get stuck somewhere and can’t find something to eat nearby and quickly. I always carry something as backup, and luckily I rarely ever have to use it.

Take it from this traveler: The world is an amazing place. There are so many languages, cultures, traditions and foods out there. Don’t let your dietary restrictions keep you at home. Get out into the world and be adventurous—but go prepared!

In Japan, New Year’s — shogatsu — is one of the most important holidays of the year. Businesses will close and families will gather for parties. Malls and shopping centers will stay open, though, at least one New Year’s Day. Believe it or not, these stores can be crazier than those in the U.S. on the day after Thanksgiving! Another major New Year’s activity is for families to flock to the many shrines around Japan to say their prayers and hope for a good year to come.

Just like all major holidays for the different cultures and religions out there, Japan has a special food for this holiday. Maybe you have heard of it? Mochi. Yes, I said mochi. Let me guess, you have heard of this! I suspect you have, because before moving to Japan this was one of the Japanese foods I had heard of, and I knew that it was a new trend in the U.S. Perhaps you have tried mochi ice cream before. Well, the kind you actually get in Japan isn’t quite the same thing, but that may give you an idea about mochi.

Mochi is a Japanese rice cake. Unlike a typical rice cake in the U.S. that is made from light and airy puffed rice, mochi is very dense. It is a glutinous, pounded rice cake. It packs a lot of calories into a small amount. As a result, only a small serving should be enjoyed in celebration. Honestly, if you have ever tried actual mochi—not the dessert or sweetened versions—you will know that you couldn’t actually eat a whole lot in one sitting anyway.

Aside from the dessert or sweetened versions I already mentioned, mochi traditionally comes in a small rectangular block, maybe about a quarter-inch thick. You can buy it in the grocery store any time of year. It doesn’t have much flavor so you wouldn’t eat it on its own. Instead, it becomes an ingredient in other foods. For shogatsu it is made into a special soup. I have had it prepared this way, although it wasn’t actually around the New Year.

The mochi was warmed by being placed on top of the stove, just resting on a small metal grate so it did not burn. The heat made this start to melt a little and it became a bit chewy and stringy. Then it was added to a soup. You can also just add the mochi to the pot and let it cook in the broth (called dashi), but not too long or it won’t have the right consistency.

That dashi is a traditional broth made from bonito. If you have ever had miso soup before, then you have had dashi since it is the base for miso soup. Finally, meats and vegetables can be added to the soup as well. Different regions will use different ingredients.

Although mochi is a traditional food for celebrating the New Year, it has gained in popularity in recent years and is now a treat enjoyed all year long. I have even had it as an ingredient in okonomiyaki, a Japanese pancake. Surprisingly, there is a lot you can do with mochi that goes above and beyond the dessert versions. Next time you find yourself in an Asian market, look for the mochi. It’s usually sold in a rectangular block, about 1-by-2 inches and ¼ inch thick—but it can also come in round pieces. Then go ahead an experiment! Just one last piece of advice: Be very, very careful! Mochi is very glutinous, making it exceptionally chewy. It is a major choking hazard here in Japan so you always want to chew it well before swallowing.

Happy New Year!  Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu!