Oden is one of the blandest tasting meals you can eat. I love it!
Thank kami for the mustard!
by ReiwaIchi
25 Comments
CressDependent2918
im sorry, what? Oden bland? its soup. its so flavorful. and all the ingredients have different tastes and textures. are you sure you’re not just eating konjac with water? 😆
Intelligent_Fish_541
You liking the “blandness” might actually be you appreciating the natural flavors. We are bombarded with tastes in our daily lives and traditional Japanese cooking is a way for me to enjoy flavors in a more basic way at least.
ametora
I had oden every time I could while I lived in Japan, and was surprised I couldn’t find it that often after I left. I don’t know that I’d call it bland but see what you mean. It’s amazing comfort food but maybe more of a slow burn. It doesn’t really have a wow factor, visually or with any single ingredient. But this is making me crave some oden daikon and mustard right now.
LordAxalon110
I make my own, but I just do a really flavourful broth for it. So I guess it’s more like a hot pot than oden. But I’m by far no expert in Japanese food at all.
cannibaltom
Please no troll. Oden broth is delicious.
candirainbow
I love oden and make it regularly but I wouldn’t call it bland. I don’t care for it with the mustard personally; I like the gentle broth. But everyone’s palate is different I guess.
PoisonClan24
Bland? Your making wrong or eating it at the wrong place.
lemeneurdeloups
How is it bland?!! Great oden has a very hearty, strong, and odiferous soup base and is typically eaten with spicy karashi mustard.
Where are you finding this “bland oden”?
(Maybe you are trying to say that tofu and daikon and chikuwa by themselves are “bland”?)
ReiwaIchi
See above response where, except for the carrot, all additions are bland.
crella-ann
The colors of the tofu etc are too light. They should be much darker. Tsuji cooking school oden:
10 cups water
Konbu
Beef tsuji meat
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup mirin
Make the broth, skim it, remove konbu. Boil konnyaku in salt water to remove smell. Boil cut daikon with a bit of rice (fast cheat) or in the rice-washing water. The rice bran removes daikon’s bitterness. Bevel the edges of the daikon slices so they don’t boil apart. Daikon and konnyaku into the pot along with any additional sliced meat you might want to add (if you’re not a fan of tsuji). Simmer. After 1 1/2 hours add potatoes and a drop lid. Cook another hour at a simmer so the potatoes don’t break down. The tofu can go in the last 1/2 hour, or in the pot on the table, if using an electric pot.
I’ve never had it but OP is getting blasted by downvotes so I’m just gonna say it’s bland too. Enjoy and find comfort in your innocuous opinions brother.
heyandy23
Oden wouldn’t be oden, if it wasn’t boiled
Meepzors
Lol make the broth stronger. If your broth is bland then the whole thing is going to be bland.
You don’t need rice. Let it stand on its own.
saechulbal5
Totally not trying to be rude at all but what food culture do you come from originally? I’ve noticed online that a lot of times people who find Japanese food to be bland tend to come from cultures and countries where food is heavily spiced whereas the opposite occurs when you come from a place where the food isn’t as heavily seasoned. For example, I’m Korean and as much as I find Thai or Mexican food delicious occasionally, I’d find it overwhemling and overpowering to my palate to have those cuisines everyday (even though I know there is a wide range and versatility in both cuisines.)
The big problem is that the internet has kinda turned even food into a big pissing competition where we fight about who’s food is more delicious and who’s isnt. Taste is completely subjective and how you perceive flavor is based on the individual but people forget that.
ArtBear1212
FYI you can get canned oden from Amazon. Heat and eat!
paigezpp
Lots of mustard please!
in1gom0ntoya
Oden wouldn’t be oden if it wasn’t boiled…
BloodSpades
If your oden is bland, then you’re doing something wrong, PERIOD. Good oden is VERY flavorful without being too much.
vape_sensation
It’s so good though, right!? Umami!!! 🤤 I love the daikon and the tofu.
Seasonings vary greatly depending on the region in Japan. Generally, Western Japan is lightly seasoned, while Eastern Japan is heavily seasoned. People in Tokyo say that Osaka oden is light in flavor, so why not try Tokyo-style seasoning?
DontPoopInMyPantsPlz
Daikon, egg, potato, gyusuji for me
aggelikiwi
Never had it, looks like the prefect comfort food. I need to find the ingredients in UK
NyanPenguin
Japanese foods in general are overrated. They lack flavors.
NyanPenguin
This whole comment section sounds like it’s full of weebs with Japanese fetishes
GreyFishHound
I think your tastebuds are messed up. Dashi stock is never bland.
25 Comments
im sorry, what? Oden bland? its soup. its so flavorful. and all the ingredients have different tastes and textures. are you sure you’re not just eating konjac with water? 😆
You liking the “blandness” might actually be you appreciating the natural flavors. We are bombarded with tastes in our daily lives and traditional Japanese cooking is a way for me to enjoy flavors in a more basic way at least.
I had oden every time I could while I lived in Japan, and was surprised I couldn’t find it that often after I left. I don’t know that I’d call it bland but see what you mean. It’s amazing comfort food but maybe more of a slow burn. It doesn’t really have a wow factor, visually or with any single ingredient. But this is making me crave some oden daikon and mustard right now.
I make my own, but I just do a really flavourful broth for it. So I guess it’s more like a hot pot than oden. But I’m by far no expert in Japanese food at all.
Please no troll. Oden broth is delicious.
I love oden and make it regularly but I wouldn’t call it bland. I don’t care for it with the mustard personally; I like the gentle broth. But everyone’s palate is different I guess.
Bland? Your making wrong or eating it at the wrong place.
How is it bland?!! Great oden has a very hearty, strong, and odiferous soup base and is typically eaten with spicy karashi mustard.
Where are you finding this “bland oden”?
(Maybe you are trying to say that tofu and daikon and chikuwa by themselves are “bland”?)
See above response where, except for the carrot, all additions are bland.
The colors of the tofu etc are too light. They should be much darker. Tsuji cooking school oden:
10 cups water
Konbu
Beef tsuji meat
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup mirin
Make the broth, skim it, remove konbu. Boil konnyaku in salt water to remove smell. Boil cut daikon with a bit of rice (fast cheat) or in the rice-washing water. The rice bran removes daikon’s bitterness. Bevel the edges of the daikon slices so they don’t boil apart. Daikon and konnyaku into the pot along with any additional sliced meat you might want to add (if you’re not a fan of tsuji). Simmer. After 1 1/2 hours add potatoes and a drop lid. Cook another hour at a simmer so the potatoes don’t break down. The tofu can go in the last 1/2 hour, or in the pot on the table, if using an electric pot.
[Oden](https://imgur.com/a/kidx9IT)
I’ve never had it but OP is getting blasted by downvotes so I’m just gonna say it’s bland too. Enjoy and find comfort in your innocuous opinions brother.
Oden wouldn’t be oden, if it wasn’t boiled
Lol make the broth stronger. If your broth is bland then the whole thing is going to be bland.
You don’t need rice. Let it stand on its own.
Totally not trying to be rude at all but what food culture do you come from originally? I’ve noticed online that a lot of times people who find Japanese food to be bland tend to come from cultures and countries where food is heavily spiced whereas the opposite occurs when you come from a place where the food isn’t as heavily seasoned. For example, I’m Korean and as much as I find Thai or Mexican food delicious occasionally, I’d find it overwhemling and overpowering to my palate to have those cuisines everyday (even though I know there is a wide range and versatility in both cuisines.)
The big problem is that the internet has kinda turned even food into a big pissing competition where we fight about who’s food is more delicious and who’s isnt. Taste is completely subjective and how you perceive flavor is based on the individual but people forget that.
FYI you can get canned oden from Amazon. Heat and eat!
Lots of mustard please!
Oden wouldn’t be oden if it wasn’t boiled…
If your oden is bland, then you’re doing something wrong, PERIOD. Good oden is VERY flavorful without being too much.
It’s so good though, right!? Umami!!! 🤤 I love the daikon and the tofu.
日本は地域によって味付けがかなり違います。一般的に西日本の味付けが薄く東日本の味付けが濃いです。
東京の人は大阪のオデンは味が薄いというので、東京風の味付けを試してみては
Seasonings vary greatly depending on the region in Japan. Generally, Western Japan is lightly seasoned, while Eastern Japan is heavily seasoned.
People in Tokyo say that Osaka oden is light in flavor, so why not try Tokyo-style seasoning?
Daikon, egg, potato, gyusuji for me
Never had it, looks like the prefect comfort food. I need to find the ingredients in UK
Japanese foods in general are overrated. They lack flavors.
This whole comment section sounds like it’s full of weebs with Japanese fetishes
I think your tastebuds are messed up. Dashi stock is never bland.