Oden is as popular as it is inexpensive – most Oden restaurants, festival stalls and convenience stores allow you to pick and choose the items that you want to eat – consider it a buffet of comfort food that will quickly shake off the chill of cool day or night in Japan.  Many of the selections are less than 100 Yen each so you don’t need to be flush with cash to taste this simple but satisfying Japanese stew for yourself.

This steam emanating from an Oden vat comes from the slowly simmering broth made with katsuo (bonito fish flakes) or konbu (kelp/seaweed) and seasoned with shoyu (soy sauce).  Common Oden selections include:

• Tofu – Either fried (astuage), grilled (yakidofu) or fresh
• Daikon – Japanese white radish
• Tamago – Hard boiled eggs
• Jagaimo – Boiled potatoes
• Konbumaki – Kelp (rolled and tied into a knot)
• Kon’nyaku – Translucent blocks of a vegetable starch
• Uinnaa-maki – Cocktail sausage
• Gobomaki – Strips of Burdock Root

Fishcakes, seaweed, noodles and skewered meats can also be added to the Oden broth and the dish is commonly served with a small amount of strong mustard (karashi) to spice up what some feel is a bland taste.   Oden lovers enjoy the variety of textures of the different ingredients that when simmered together create a flavorful broth.

Take some time to peruse the Convenience Store Oden Menus at Bento.com to learn more about this warm Japanese comfort food and then head out to try it for yourself this winter.

Image Credit: Flickr, おでん & no title by Kaori_S