The shelves of Japan¡¯s convenience stores change with the seasons, but winter brings a particularly unusual addition: stainless steel food warmers installed next to the checkout counter containing oden, a stew of tofu, boiled eggs, daikon, fish cakes and other ingredients simmered in a dashi broth. You may wonder why this rather homey dish ¡ª which looks like it belongs on a grandmother¡¯s stove ¡ª is sold alongside fried chicken, rice balls and sandwiches. Oden is one of the oldest fast foods in Japan, with roots stretching back hundreds of years.

The word ¡°oden¡± is usually written phonetically in hiragana, but when written with kanji the ¡±den¡± is the character for ¡°rice field¡± (the ¡±o¡± is honorific). The predecessor of oden is miso dengaku, which originally consisted of squares of skewered tofu grilled over charcoal and topped with a miso sauce. The miso-clad white tofu on bamboo skewers was so named because it reminded people of the dengaku, a rice planting and harvest ritual dance where »å±ð²Ô²µ²¹°ì³Ü-³ó¨­²õ³ó¾± (priests) clad in white hakama (a traditional type of trousers) and colorful coats dance on tall bamboo stilts. Miso dengaku became a beloved snack, especially during the cold winter months as tofu retains its heat when cooked.

In the 18th century, casual eateries in Edo (present-day Tokyo) called nameshi-ya started serving rice mixed with chopped greens and a side of miso dengaku made with tofu or konnyaku (devil¡¯s tongue jelly). The same ingredients were later served simmered together in a broth ¡ª the forerunner of oden as we know it today. Oden eventually became popular as a quick snack served from roadside stalls, since a pot could be kept simmering indefinitely, with new contents added when necessary.