Okazu

Okazu (Japaneseおかず;お 数;御 数;お 菜;御 菜) in Japanese home cooking, a general term for side dishes, even for small snacks.

The term is shortened meaning " the food perfect / enrich " again and is a creation of Nyobo - Kotoba courtly ladies of the Muromachi period.

Another expression of the same meaning is " sozai " (惣 菜).