How to make Mochi “Japanese Rice Cake”
Mochi “Japanese rice cake” is getting more popular in many countries around the world.
I, as a Japanese, love to eat mochi which is one of the traditional Japanese sweets made of rice.
Nowadays, it is easy to make mochi by mass production, but we have to remember how to make mochi by original and traditional hand-made production that some homes in country side still follow.
Just a few days ago, I had a rare and valuable chance to experience to see and try the hand-made mochi production at my wife’s grandparents’s house in Niigata where it takes about 2 hours from Tokyo by the bullet train.
Niigata is one of the top rice production prefectures in Japan, and of course, rice made in Niigata is definitely the great taste and quality.
So, it is easy for you to imagine how yummy to eat the mochi made of rice in Niigata.
Here is the procedures for hand-made mochi production.
1. Harvest sticky rice
2. Steam the sticky rice in kettle *See the pic below.
3. Place the sticly rice in millstone and prepare for pounding *See the pic below.
4. Pound sticky rice with a pair of people *See the pic below.
5. Sticky rice becomes mochi!
6. Place muchi on the table and extend *See the pic below.
→Now you can eat fresh warm mochi!
7. Dry the rest of mochi for stock and cut it into small pieces
This is the traditional mochi production for long years.
This scene is very rate to see in Japan as not many houses have those production tools, but still you can experience this at country side in Japan, especially, the popular production area for rice and sticky rice.
I was very lucky to experience this at my wife’s relative’s house, and felt that we should keep this great culture of hand-made mochi production from now on.
Finally, it is needless to say, fresh hand-made mochi was so delicious! I wish I could experience it soon, hopefully at the same time of the next year.
