🍱 Sangon
When you think of Japanese New Year's dishes, osechi or zoni may come to mind but in the Amami island region, “sangon” is eaten instead. The name comes from the three dishes that are served: a rice cake soup served in a lacquered red bowl, sashimi, and chicken or pork soup served in a black bowl. The red bowl, sashimi, and black bowl are eaten in this order, and a cup of shochu is passed around all family members to sip in between each meal. Saigo Takamori, a samurai, fled to Amami Oshima after gaining the attention of the shogunate during the Great Ansei Incident. During his stay, he married Aikana, the daughter of the most prominent family in Oshima and celebrated with “sangon”. Originally, “sangon” was a type of Japanese cuisine invented during the Muromachi period and became more refined during the Edo period. However, today it is only served at special occasions such as weddings and funerals, and is not well known among the younger generation. Despite this, eating sangon is an event deeply rooted in New Year's tradition in the Amami islands.