Ozoni, Hoppin’ John vary by their makers

There are countless versions of ozoni. Families have their own broth recipes and favorite add-ins. This one, from “Hawai‘i’s Holiday Cookbook,” by Muriel Miura and Betty Shi­ma­bu­kuro, uses dashi-no-moto flavoring, a quick way to make broth. Some folks use chicken or miso broth. Additional ingredients also vary widely, from simple mizuna and fishcake to carrots, lotus root and shiitake. The one constant is mochi.

OZONI
From “Hawai‘i’s Holiday Cookbook,” by Muriel Miura and Betty Shi­ma­bu­kuro (Mutual Publishing)

4 cups water
2-1/2 teaspoons dashi-no-moto
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
10 round mochi (or rectangular kiri­mo­chi), grilled
1/2 bunch mizuna or horenso (spinach), cut into 1-1/2 inch lengths, blanched
5 slices kamaboko

In pot, combine water, dashi-no-moto, salt and soy sauce; bring to boil.

Place grilled mochi in soup bowls; add greens and kama­boko; pour hot broth over. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 5.

Note: If using fresh mochi, grilling is not necessary.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 4 servings): 200 calories, no fat, 10 mg cholesterol, greater than 1,300 mg sodium, 42 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 6 g protein

Hoppin’ John is such a staple in New Year celebrations of the South that, like ozoni, there are countless variations of the dish.

Classic Hoppin’ John uses some form of pork, whether it be ham, ham hocks or bacon, though recipes with an eye toward healthfulness can call for leaner meat, such as chicken. Black-eyed peas, a staple of the dish, are said to symbolize coins. Some recipes also include dark greens, which represent money because of their color. 

HOPPIN’ JOHN
From “The African-American Kitchen: Cooking from Our Heritage,” by Angela Shelf Medearis (1994, Dutton; paperback version 1997, Plume)

1 pound dried black-eyed peas, picked over and soaked overnight in
6 cups water
1/2 pound smoked ham hocks
1 onion, sliced
1 whole hot cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooked rice

In pot on medium heat, place peas and water; add ham hocks, onion, pepper and salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 1 to 1-1/2 hours, or until peas and meat are tender. Remove pepper.

Remove skin and bones from hocks and cut meat into small pieces. Return meat to pot. Add cooked rice to pot and heat 5 minutes. Serves 10.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt to taste): 200 calories, 2.5 g fat,
1 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 350 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrate, 9 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 12 g protein

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Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S., a nutritionist in the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Science, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii-Manoa.