Top - Zoni cooked with sumashi soup and topped with square mochi
Bottom - Zoni cooked with white miso soup and topped with round mochi

Zoni is a soup made with such ingredients as mochi (rice dumplings), carrots, and white radishes. This traditional Japanese dish is mainly served at New Year.

It is said to have originated as a dish made from offerings to the Shinto deities and Buddhas on New Year's Eve, which were then cooked and eaten after sunrise on New Year’s Day. In the Edo period (17th-19th centuries), zoni became popular among the common people and its role changed to that of a lucky dish used when praying for a safe year.

Zoni is customarily eaten in every part of Japan except Okinawa. However, there is wide variation by region in the soup, shape of mochi, and ingredients used.

In eastern Japan, square mochi are popular, whereas in Kyoto, which is believed to be the birthplace of zoni, and other　western Japan regions influenced by Kyoto, round mochi are preferred because the round shape is said to bring good fortune. Cooking methods differ, too; square mochi are usually roasted while round ones are normally boiled before being added to the soup.

The most popular recipe is clear soup called sumashi which uses stock made from katsuobushi (bonito flakes), kelp, etc. as a base with soy sauce and salt for seasoning. Next is awase miso soup, in which several types of miso (fermented soy beans) are used to add flavor. Then comes shiro miso soup that uses white miso. Besides mochi, added ingredients include spinach and carrots, as well as yuzu and parsley for aroma. However, these also vary by region.

These zoni variants, each strongly reflecting the character of the local area, are usually served in shikki, which are lined up on the table and likewise display distinctive regional characteristics. Zoni with colorful ingredients making their charming appearances in shikki conveys pleasant warmth to both hand and palate.

Zoni has a variety of appearances, depending on the region. This food culture seems to have something in common with the culture of shikki.

In most areas, including Tokyo, zoni with sumashi soup (left) is popular. In the Kansai region, including Kyoto, zoni with a white miso soup (right) is preferred.