V+S+D :)

Mochi (Japanese: 餅, もち) is Japanese rice cake made of mochigome, a short-grain japonica glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch. The rice is pounded into paste and molded into the desired shape. In Japan it is traditionally made in a ceremony called mochitsuki.

While also eaten year-round, mochi is a traditional food for the Japanese New Year and is commonly sold and eaten during that time.

Introduced into Japan at the end of the Jomon period (300 BC), mochi is a millennial dessert that has always had a special place in the hearts of the Japanese.
While used as an offering during religious ceremonies under Heian (794-1185), it very quickly arrived on the tables of the nobility during the Muromachi era (1336-1573) when it became an essential element of the tea ceremony. Due to its very sweet taste, it indeed balances wonderfully the bitterness of green tea! A characteristic that still matches with the tea today, since mochi is still used in the Japanese tea ceremony.

As a traditional dessert, mochi is now tasted at many events. Whether at a matsuri (traditional Japanese festival) food stall or at the end of the year celebrations, this little rice dumpling is a staple of Japanese tables.

As the basis for kagami mochi, the cakes used at the Shinto shrine during New Years Day ceremonies, the mochi must be prepared several weeks in advance to allow the dough to sit. Its production then attracts crowds, and many people flock to the streets every year to witness the kneading of the mochi (known as mochitsuki) which often takes place in public at the end of December.

It must also be said that the mochitsuki is a little show in itself!

WARNING!
Suffocation deaths are caused by mochi every year in Japan, especially among elderly people. According to the Tokyo Fire Department which responds to choking cases, mochi sends more than 100 people to the hospital every year in Tokyo alone. Between 2006 and 2009, 18 people died from choking on mochi in the Japanese capital, according to the citys fire department. In 2011, Japanese media reported eight mochi-related deaths in Tokyo in January.
Every year, Japanese authorities warn people to cut mochi into small pieces before eating it. The Tokyo Fire Department even has a website offering tips on how to help someone choking on mochi by performing an abdominal thrust ((Heimlich maneuver)).


DIFFERENT TYPES OF MOCHI
Although there are some savory recipes using mochi, it is mainly used in desserts. A brief overview of the most popular treats that can be made from this sticky rice paste:

 - The abekawa mochi (or kinako mochi), mochi ball sprinkled with toasted soy powder.


 - The daifuku mochi is a treat with a center made of azuki (red bean paste). It is an extremely popular dessert and many regions have their own recipe.

 
- The dango mochi is a kind of skewer with three little balls of mochi (sometimes of different colors). You can have it plain, grilled or not, and coated with a kind of soy sauce-based caramel.


 - The sakura mochi is a treat enjoyed during hanami. The dough is pink and sweet, filled with azuki, and wrapped with a cherry leaf.


 - The zenzai, sweet red bean soup served hot or cold, with melted mochi: a homemade dessert which the Japanese are crazy for.

 
 
 Generally, two or three men carry out this task. First, two men pound the mochi with wooden mallets. The third man gives the pace, shouting ichi, ni, san... (one, two, three...) to prevent the mallets colliding, but also so that his hand is not crushed while turning and wetting the hot paste. This event, known as mochitsuki, is a real celebration and is often done on the streets and in public.