🍱 Taranoko-ae

Cod has long been an essential part of the New Year's celebration in Aomori Prefecture. Until around 1945, it was a tradition to thread a rope through the gills of a large cod and drag it along a snow-covered road to bring it home at the end of the year. After the fish had been cleaned, its head, middle bone, fins, and entrails were made into “jappa soup”, and its eggs were made into "cod roe," or preserved in a sweet salt. "Taranoko-ae " is a dish with seasoned and boiled radish, frozen tofu, carrots, konjac noodles, etc., are mixed with shredded cod roe. The seasoning varies from household to household, including salt, soy sauce, and miso. When served during New Year's or on festive occasions, carrots are indispensable, as their bright orange color is valued as a good-luck charm.