Satsuma Ebi Zoni

In Satsuma-area New Year bowls, a whole grilled shrimp, shell and all, sits proudly on top, sometimes so large it seems to spill over the rim. Dashi made from dried shiitake and bonito flakes carries grilled mochi, decoratively cut carrot, bean sprouts, taro, and kamaboko fish cake. The shrimp's smoky aroma seeps into the broth, and each spoonful pairs a briny sweetness with the chewy pull of the rice cake and the mealy softness of the taro. Its festive look gives the bowl a sense of New Year luxury.

Grilled or dried shrimp and dried shiitake are rehydrated in water, then simmered with bonito flakes to build the stock. Carrots are carved decoratively and boiled, and mochi is toasted until fragrant and lightly browned. The rice cake and other ingredients are arranged in a bowl, and the hot broth is poured generously over them. Many households keep the seasoning light so the shrimp's own flavor comes through, and both the mix of ingredients and how they're cut tend to vary from one household to the next.

The waters off Izumi have long been a rich shrimp fishing ground, and fishers reportedly used a traditional net called a ketautasebune to haul in their catch, drying it over charcoal into grilled shrimp once offered to the Shimazu lords of Satsuma. The dish is said to have spread from there to ordinary households, giving rise to the custom of topping the New Year bowl with an oversized shrimp. Each ingredient carries its own wish: shrimp for long life, taro for family continuity, and bean sprouts for a year of hard, steady work, and even now grilled shrimp are said to hang outside dried-fish shops around Izumi as the year draws to a close.