While living in Japan years ago, I remember that we ate rice bean cakes around the new years in the hopes of bringing good fortune for that coming year.  The osechi-ryori, a group of  symbolic dishes eaten during the first three days of the new year, includes  sweet black beans called kuro-mame.  I didn’t mind as those sweet bean cakes were some of my favorite treats to eat and I still daydream about them!  That and the yummy eel that was abundant in the city I lived in.  In many cultures around the world, January 1st offers an opportunity to increase your good fortune by eating a variety of…