April 2022 marks Diversity Month.  The HSHSL is celebrating with stories collected from the campus community as part of our Woven Stories: Out of many, we are one project. So many traditions and pieces of personal culture circle around food. Leilani Uttenreither’s, Assistant to Dr. Roger J. Ward, Office of the Provost, is no exception.  Read on for her family’s New Year’s tradition:

Onishime is a traditional New Years stew in Japan. It comprises of a meat broth with root vegetables (lotus, gobo, daikon, taro & carrot), shiitake mushrooms and kombu. This picture is my grandmother’s recipe, as every family makes it a little different. The most important directive is to make sure there are no sharp edges when cutting the vegetables (it is also extra work!). Like in many Asian cultures, New Years is a very important time in Japan and onishime is one of many traditional dishes that brings good fortune in the new year.

Interested in sharing your own story?  Have your own New Year’s Tradition?  Or perhaps a family recipe? Woven Stories aims to capture the cultural diversity of the individuals that make up UMB’s campus.  Share your own story to be part of the HSHSL’s project by submitting a photograph and brief description here.