mochi

mochi, rice cakes of Japanese origin.

In A Diplomat in Japan (1921), Sir Ernest Satow described mochi as being “prepared and decorated in proper fashion with a Seville orange and fern.” And omochi (the honorific is commonly used for this sacred food) remain an indispensable part of New Year celebrations in Japan today, displayed alongside a satsuma orange in the family seasonal alcove. The cakes are made of a short-grain rice called mochigome, whose high gluten content lends them a gummy texture.

Making mochi is a winter ritual, traditionally performed by a married couple. It is an exercise in trust, as one partner deftly turns and wets the steamed glutinous rice in a large wooden tub before the other partner brings a large wooden mallet crashing down to pound it. Mochi is an essential item at the New Year breakfast, eaten in a hot soup called zoni. Its glutinous texture, however, calls for careful chewing—especially for the elderly and children—as deaths from suffocation on the New Year mochi are reported nearly every year. Dried mochi keep for a long time and are sold in individually wrapped pieces, which can be softened by grilling or simmering in soup. Sweet and sticky, mochi form a golden crust when toasted.