Oden: Japanese winter comfort food

A familiar sight at Japanese convenience stores, and a popular menu item in izakaya gastropubs, oden (おでん or 御田), a kind of stewed dish, is one of Japan's favorite winter comfort foods. Many ingredients feature in oden but what they all have in common is that they are served in a light and flavorful broth, traditionally containing dashi and soy sauce. Typical favorites are daikon radish, various fishcakes, konjac, tofu, sausages, boiled eggs, and skewered meats. Both in terms of broth and ingredients, there are many regional variants of oden you can enjoy.

Guests staying at the delightful HOSHINOYA Karuizawa luxury resort this winter can enjoy a very special version of this comfort food with a wild and unusual twist.

Gibier Oden Course at HOSHINOYA Karuizawa

From December 1st, 2021 to February 28th, 2022, HOSHINOYA Karuizawa guests can enjoy a special oden course featuring gibier, wild game meat such as wild boar, rabbit, deer and bear. Such game meats have traditionally been enjoyed in Nagano Prefecture for generations. Since the hunting season begins on November 15th, this is the perfect occasion to use gibier in Japanese cuisine. These gifts from the mountains are prepared using cooking methods that highlight the flavors of each kind of meat. Moreover, the course uses a special broth made of dried deer meat. It's the perfect way to enjoy oden while savoring the deep flavors of local gibier.

As he makes finishing touches to each dish, a chef at your counter will share stories of culinary techniques unique to gibier. You'll also be able to enjoy local sake perfectly paired with your special oden meal.

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Course Features

Exclusive private space for your group

Your group will enjoy the Gibier Oden Course in a private house within the premises of HOSHINOYA Karuizawa where you can have a relaxing and fulfilling dining experience while taking in the beautiful night view of the waters outside the window.

Fully enjoy local gibier in a special course meal

Your course begins with a serving of broth using dried deer meat over freshly shaved dried deer flakes. When the chef slowly pours over the broth, an aroma similar to that of rich consommé will fill the room.

The next dish will be tomato stewed in broth and grilled deer meat. For the main course, you'll feast on braised bear meat with cold dried daikon radish and aromatic vegetables topped with heated bear lard. Accompanying it will be flavored rice cooked with broth, dried deer flakes, dried shiitake mushrooms, and other mountain ingredients.

Sake pairing customized to gibier oden

Those who enjoy sake will be pleased to know that the Gibier Oden Course will be perfectly paired with Kurosawa Junmai Ginjo 2016, a local Nagano Prefecture sake with a sharp taste that lingers on the tongue. Guests will be able to enjoy it served both cold for the starters and hot for the main course, the flavors of each part enhanced by sake of different temperatures.

Information

• Name: Gibier Oden Course
• Period: December 1st, 2021 to February 28th, 2022
• Price: 36,300 JPY per person (includes tax and service charge)
• Price includes: Gibier Oden Course meal, Kurosawa Junmai Ginjo 2016 (cold and warm temperatures, 180 ml each)
• Capacity: 1 group per night (maximum of 2 people per group)
• Available to: Guests staying at HOSHINOYA Karuizawa
• Reservations: required 10 days in advance at the latest
• Please note that the menu is subject to change depending on the availability of ingredients.

HOSHINOYA Karuizawa

A secluded moutainside ryokan resort only 90 minutes from Tokyo, HOSHINOYA Karuizawa provides the ultimate fresh-air escape with award-wining ecotours, acclaimed birdwatching and healing hot springs. After a day on woodland trails, relax with seasonal cuisine, spa and treatments inspired by Zen precepts, or enjoy a cypress-bath soak in the privacy of your spacious guestroom.

• Address: Hoshino, Karuizawa-machi, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano 389-0194
• Number of Rooms: 77
• Check-in: 3:00 pm/Check-out: 12:00 pm
• Price: Starting from 102,000 JPY per night per room (includes tax and service charge, excludes meals)
• Directions: Approximately 15 minutes by car from Karuizawa Station
• Website