Daikon

Daikon is a variety of radish popular in Japan. It’s a long white root vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked in a variety of dishes. When eaten raw is crunchy and a little spicy, but when it’s braised for a long time in dashi, it becomes very soft and a little sweet, and absorbs the flavor of the cooking liquid and turns a golden color. For oden, the daikon is peeled and the cut into thick discs.

Egg

Soft and filling, boiled eggs are the perfect oden ingredient. You’ll notice the yude tamago in oden are chestnut-brown color from being steeped in stock for a long period of time. This process also gives the eggs a deep, deliciously savory, slightly salty and sweet flavor.

Kombu Seaweed

Kombu is a variety of Japanese seaweed used for making dashi and adding flavor to dishes. Kombu is used both to flavor the oden broth, and as a feature ingredient. You’ll be able to tell the kombu, dark green in color, and tied into decorative bow shapes. The stewing process makes the kombu soft and flavorful to eat.

Nerimono

Nerimono is general name for "paste products" that actually have many variations (chikuwa being one of them).

Main ingredients usually consist of fish paste.

When cooked, it has a slightly chewy, springy texture and soft taste.

Konnyaku

Konnyaku is obviously one of the most important oden ingredients.

konnyaku has the consistency of firm jelly, and only a slight, almost fishy flavor. It’s actually made from a type of potato plant, the same family of potatoes as taro. The potato made into a flour then mixed with water and lime water.