Haba Zoni is a New Year's zoni (mochi soup) eaten mainly in the Kazusa region of Chiba Prefecture, distinguished by a strongly fragrant seaweed called 'habanori' placed on top as a finishing touch. Habanori is a spatula-shaped seaweed that takes root in autumn and grows through winter into spring, harvested in areas such as Kamogawa City and Minamiboso City in the southern Boso Peninsula. Because of its uneven appearance, it rarely appears on the market and has mainly been consumed locally. To prepare the dish, grilled square mochi is placed in a clear soup made with bonito-flake dashi, then topped with toasted and crumbled habanori, aonori (green laver), and bonito flakes. The dish is also known for a play on words: 'haba,' meaning the seaweed, is associated with the word for 'presence' or 'influence,' making it an auspicious dish eaten with the wish to 'hold sway (haba wo kikaseru) all year round.' Even in areas far from the production region, such as the Kujukuri area and Ichihara City, it has been passed down as an essential New Year's dish.
Origin
Habanori was once eaten as a substitute for asakusanori, a seaweed once considered a luxury item, but because of its uneven appearance it rarely reached the market and was mainly consumed among local fishermen. Using this rare seaweed in New Year's zoni is said to be the origin of Haba Zoni.
History
The custom of Haba Zoni spread from the southern Boso Peninsula, where habanori is produced, to distant areas such as the Kujukuri region (Sanbu district) and Ichihara City, and became established as a New Year's dish mainly in the Kazusa region. It is said that many households, even outside the production area, order the seaweed specially to eat it at New Year's.
Features
The dish is characterized by grilled square mochi served in a clear soup made with bonito-flake dashi, generously topped with toasted and crumbled habanori, aonori, and bonito flakes. It is also cherished as an auspicious dish, with 'haba' playing on the word for 'influence,' expressing the wish to 'hold sway' throughout the year.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
There is a custom based on a play on words between 'haba' (the seaweed) and the word for 'influence,' in which eating Haba Zoni at New Year's is thought to bring the good fortune of 'holding sway' all year round. Beyond the production area in the southern Boso Peninsula, it has also been passed down as a New Year's dish in distant areas such as the Kujukuri region and Ichihara City.
| はばのり | Sometimes sold as a seasonal, auspicious New Year's item at facilities such as 'Umi Ichiba Chikura' inside the roadside station Chikura Shiokaze-no-Okoku in Chikura, Minamiboso City.Where to buy →PR |
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