三(み)つ肴(ざかな)

みつざかな

noun

the three essential New Year's dishes

1. the three essential New Year's dishes

The three symbolic dishes regarded as indispensable to 御節(おせち) New Year's cuisine. In eastern Japan they are 黒豆(くろまめ) (sweet black beans), 数(かず)の子(こ) (herring roe), and 田作(たづく)り (candied dried sardines); in western Japan 田作(たづく)り is replaced by たたきごぼう (pounded burdock).

三(み)つ肴(ざかな)だけは必(かなら)ず用意(ようい)する。

We always prepare at least the three essential dishes.

関西(かんさい)の三(み)つ肴(ざかな)にはたたきごぼうが入(はい)る。

The western Japanese version of the three dishes includes pounded burdock.

御節(おせち)を全部(ぜんぶ)作(つく)る時間(じかん)はないので、三(み)つ肴(ざかな)と雑煮(ぞうに)だけにした。

We didn't have time to make a full osechi spread, so we settled for the three essential dishes and zoni soup.

Common collocations

三(み)つ肴(ざかな)をそろえる: to assemble the three dishes
祝(いわ)い肴(ざかな)三種(さんしゅ): the three celebratory dishes (formal synonym)
関東(かんとう)の三(み)つ肴(ざかな): the eastern Japanese set

Cultural note

Each dish carries a wish: 黒豆(くろまめ) for health and diligence, 数(かず)の子(こ) for many descendants, and 田作(たづく)り for an abundant harvest. Because these three alone are said to make a proper New Year's table, they are the minimum many households keep even when skipping the rest of the 御節(おせち).

general

Added 2026.8.13 9:22 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

30500/30596_mitsuzakana