I like mochi (rice cake). Nowadays, most people buy mochi at store or supermarket.
But in old days how to make mochi in a traditional way was hard work.
2. The other person overturn mochi.
1. and 2. are repeated rhythmically.
The kind of rice for rice cake is different from rice for principal food. It is sticky. In addition, the stickiness is produced by how to make mochi.
I’ll introduce some kinds of Mochi and some ways of eating Mochi.
○Ankoro Mochi
Mochi covered with Ann paste (sweetened red bean paste).
The looking of Ankoro Mochi is similar to Ohagi (Botamochi). But inside Ohagi is different. Inside Ohagi is rice which is not mashed perfectly.
○Yomogi Mochi
This is green color Mochi. Because when it is made, Mochi rice was mixed with boiled a kind of weeds,Yomogi.
○Zunda Mochi
Mochi is covered mashed green soybeans, sugar, salt and water. It is the local specialties of Miyagi prefecture.
Mochi is soft when it has just made. But it becomes hard to eat after several days.
So we usually toast it and eat.
○Dip toasted Mochi into Satojyoyu,mixture of sugar and small amount of soy sauce, and eat.
○ Cover mochi with Kinako (mixture of bean powder and sugar).
○Isobe maki
Toast Mochi covered with Nori (dried and roasted seaweeds).
We sometimes put Mochi in food.
○雑煮(Zouni) soup with Mochi and vegetables（Mostly soup taste: Miso in Kansai, Soy sauce in Kanto）
It is said that we can get luck and long lives and happiness throughout a year if we eat Zouni.
○Oshiruko and Zenzai
Oshiruko is sweet, red bean soup with rice cakes or dumplings in it. Zenzai is similar but there’s difference in bean paste.
Oshiruko is used koshian (smooth red bean paste) and Zenzai is used red bean paste containing pieces of red beans’ skin.
Note: This distinguish way is Kansai-style.
○Chikara Udon
Thick wheat-floured noodle put toasted Mochi on the top
・Kagami mochi (Mirror rice cake)
Kagamimochi is a flat, round shaped mochi. It is said the New Year’s god dwells in the mochi. It is also modeled after the divine mirror used for ceremonies for the gods.
These mochi are decorated with good luck charms. Nowadays this custom is getting deminishing.
Nowadays, most people don’t make mochi at home but even then mochi is one of common foods in Japan.
If you come to Japan, you should try this sticky mochi! But please care not to be choked.
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But in old days how to make mochi in a traditional way was hard work.
1. One person pounds steamed rice* with a heavy wooden pestle.
*Rice is soaked in water overnight after rinsed off in the day before making mochi.
1. and 2. are repeated rhythmically.
I’ll introduce some kinds of Mochi and some ways of eating Mochi.
○Ankoro Mochi
Mochi covered with Ann paste (sweetened red bean paste).
○Yomogi Mochi
○Zunda Mochi
Mochi is soft when it has just made. But it becomes hard to eat after several days.
So we usually toast it and eat.
○ Cover mochi with Kinako (mixture of bean powder and sugar).
We sometimes put Mochi in food.
○雑煮(Zouni) soup with Mochi and vegetables（Mostly soup taste: Miso in Kansai, Soy sauce in Kanto）
○Oshiruko and Zenzai
Oshiruko is used koshian (smooth red bean paste) and Zenzai is used red bean paste containing pieces of red beans’ skin.
Note: This distinguish way is Kansai-style.
○Chikara Udon
・Kagami mochi (Mirror rice cake)
These mochi are decorated with good luck charms. Nowadays this custom is getting deminishing.
If you come to Japan, you should try this sticky mochi! But please care not to be choked.
and share if you like it.Advertisement