Mochi 餅
Mochi is a soft, stretchy rice cake made by pounding steamed glutinous rice. It has been eaten in Japan since ancient times.
About Mochi
- Mochitsuki: The traditional pounding of steamed mochi rice with a wooden mortar and mallet, with the rice cakes shared among everyone who takes part.
- New Year: Kagami mochi, two round rice cakes stacked on a stand, is displayed in homes to welcome the New Year deities. On 11 January (kagami biraki) it is broken by hand or with a hammer, never cut with a knife, and eaten. Mochi also goes into ozoni soup on the morning of 1 January.
- Through the year: Sakura mochi and hishi mochi for the Girls' Festival on 3 March, and kashiwa mochi wrapped in an oak leaf for 5 May.
- How to eat it: Mochi is very sticky, so cut it into small pieces and eat slowly, especially for children and older people.
Season
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
Checked against: "Mochi" Rice Cake: A Food for All Seasons | Nippon.com · Kagami biraki | Wikipedia.
Mochi on Shibuya246
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