Comparison of Tokyo Style Ozouni And North Saitama Style Ozouni

I'd like to continue the topic of traditional New Year's dishes a little more. As I wrote in my previous two posts, Japanese New Year's dishes, especially "Ozouni (New Year's soup with rice cakes)" are different in each area. Even between prefectures next each other "Ozouni" would have some differences. 

For example, I'd like to show two styles of "Ozouni" today. The one in the left hand side photo is Tokyo Style Ozouni which I have already introduced in my previous posts about New Year's dishes. On the other hand, the one in the right hand side photo is North-Saitama Style Ozouni.

They are both clear soup containing rice cakes (Mochi). However, other ingredients are completely different. Tokyo Style Ozouni contains chicken, one kind of fish-cakes and a leaf vegetable called Komatsuna, but North-Saitama Style Ozouni contains many root vegetables such as carrot, Daikon radish, one kind of potato called Satoimo, and another root vegetable called Gobou.

Moreover, for Tokyo Style Ozouni rice cakes are added at the end after grilled and the surface of rice cakes become crispy, but for North-Saitama Style Ozouni un-grilled rice cakes are added in the beginning with all other root vegetables. Thus rice cakes are almost melted when North-Saitama Style Ozouni is done.

With only 25 miles (40 km) apart, Ozounis have such difference. Ozounis between areas further apart are even more different from each other. Thus when people from different regions get married, it can cause a kind of culture shock on their first New Year.