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mochi (mo-chee), n. [Japanese, もち, 餅]
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Often accompanies regular family
meals where it is frequently put in hotpot*, heated on a grill
or hot plate, or simply heated (grilled, boiled, baked) in the
kitchen and brought to the table where it is eaten with grated
daikon, grated ginger, seaweed (nori), soy sauce (shoyu),
roasted soybean powder (kinako), and sometimes sugar or a mix
thereof. [*hotpot: heated pot that sits on dining table where
diners add vegetables and other food].
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A rounded or square shaped solid
mass of rice that has been steamed, pounded, then cooled to
harden for keeping.
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English translation: rice cake (not
to be confused with puffed-rice cake).
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Japanese word for a cooked and
hardened rice product traditionally made from pounding steamed
high-starch (AKA: sticky, mochi, glutinous, sushi, sweet,
mochi) rice in a mortar with a large hammer-like wooden mallet
into a dough.
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Is common throughout the year, but
most popular at new year’s where it is given as gifts, used as
an ingredient in many dishes such as traditional Zoni (soup),
given to the family altar for offering, etc. Also, at this
time of year, the traditional method of pounding mochi is
displayed at many public events, temples, and family
gatherings.
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Often accompanies regular family
meals where it is frequently put in hotpot*, heated on a grill
or hot plate, or simply heated (grilled, boiled, baked) in the
kitchen and brought to the table where it is eaten with grated
daikon, grated ginger, seaweed (nori), soy sauce (shoyu),
roasted soybean powder (kinako), and sometimes sugar or a mix
thereof. [*hotpot: heated pot that sits on dining table where
diners add vegetables and other food ingredients until cooked,
then take them back out individually to eat with their rice.]
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When making it fresh at events,
it’s common to hand out balls of the still warm and soft mochi
where everyone quickly devours it. But cooled and hardened
mochi must first be heated. Interestingly, when re-heated the
texture is like that of mozzarella cheese. Thick, stringy,
stretchy, and lots of fun. If baked, especially over hot
coals, the crunchy outer shell that forms is very tasty. When
being heated, it will balloon or puff-up. Its famous not only
for its versatility and tastiness, but also for many people
choking on it every year and dying; especially the elderly, so
don’t forget to chew before swallowing.
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As a sweet snack or dessert it is
most commonly filled with sweet bean paste. The ingredients
being simply red azuki beans and sugar.
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At most Asian food stores one can
find various kinds of frozen Taiwanese and Chinese style mochi
balls, usually filled with sweet bean or sweet sesame paste,
ready to use in a sweet dessert soup. In the fridge or dry
goods section of the Asian market, fresh or dried mochi can be
found. Only the Japanese type seems to be found in larger
round or square pieces to be eaten alone while the Chinese
style is usually cut into small slivers, or other small
shapes, ready to use in a soup or stir-fry. Other kinds of
Chinese mochi is only sold fresh at Chinese style bakeries
where they are usually soft, ready to eat, sweet snacks, often
much more sweet than the Japanese style, and even deep-fried.
At Taiwanese restaurants mochi is often called “snow balls” in
English.
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Other Asian countries have taken to
using rice flour and water instead of the traditional pounding
method as a shortcut Using rice flour creates a much more
gooey and soft dough which will remain soft, or at least not
harden as quickly at steamed rice.
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It is found throughout Asia in
many different names and forms. Most popular in Japan, China,
Taiwan, Korea, and most other Asian countries seem to have
their own versions. Actually, mochi is quite popular in
Hawaii. This is because there have been a lot of Japanese
immigrants to the island over the years and it seems to have
really caught on there. Many recipes, especially the strange
ones, I have collected from Hawaii.
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Many depictions of traditional mochi making around Asia shows
people using various styles of mortar and pestle to pound cooked
rice, but I have seen old wooden block prints of Chinese people
making it by hand though a combination of kneading and picking it
up and slapping it down onto a thick wooden board in order to create the dough.
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The character is Chinese for
cracker, but has a different pronunciation than its Japanese
counterpart. Such differences occurred since the Japanese
language adopted the Chinese writing system; many writings and
pronunciations were altered to suit the Japanese language and
culture. Phonetically, mochi is thought to have derived from
the word with the same pronunciation 持 as in 持ち運ぶ
as in
"mo-chi-hako-bu"
meaning carry or to have on one’s
person "mo-chi-hako-bu", as it is a very convenient and portable food.
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Mochi dough process: uncooked
'sticky' rice is placed wooden steam boxes; perhaps
four-inches deep with a screen (traditionally bamboo) on the
bottom and an open top; stacked one atop the other up to four
or five high, the top one with a wooden lid or cloth to cover
it. These are placed upon the container (a pot over a fire
traditionally) which holds water that is heated from below to
produce steam with rises up through the rice cooking it. Since
the bottom one cooks more quickly, the boxes are rotated. Once
ready, the rice is put into the mortar and pounded with a
wooden mallet. The rice is very sticky, therefore the mallet
must be kept wet to prevent it from getting stuck. The shaft
of the mallet is attached to the head not in the centre, but
closer to one end; this is to prevent the shaft hitting the
edge of the mortar. Usually one person hammers the dough while
another keeps it wet and quickly reaches in between strikes in
order to fold the dough inward from the edges. It is said that
if one is skilled enough, there is no need for the second
person. The dough is then formed it into balls and set to
cool. The balls will slowly flatten out before fully cooled
and end up being round slightly domed patties. One other
method is to spread the dough flat and when very firm, but not
fully hardened, cut into small rectangles. Since the rice was
steamed and not boiled, the dough will cool very quickly
therefore a hot damp towel can be placed on top while making
balls, but if many hands are at work, all can be completed
well before cooling. Once fully cooled and hardened mochi will
keep in a cool dry place very well; unless dried 100% mold
will be a problem. Keep in the freezer for best storage. Mochi
packaged in plastic bags have moisture or oxygen absorbing
packets put in too.
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Red Bean Paste (Ankko) Mochi
process: When the mochi dough has just been made, it
is put on a work surface that has been dusted with rice flour.
Hands also dusted, a dollop is plucked from the dough, rolled
into a small ball and flattened with the palm and thumb
against the palm of one’s other hand while being rotated. A
flat round shape is made about the size of one’s palm.
Thickness should be even and enough that one cannot see light
through it. A second, only slightly smaller dollop is taken
and steps repeated. Being very sticky, rice flour is a must,
keep well dusted. Place the larger one back on the palm, place
the smaller in the centre of that one. Then a dollop of sweet
red bean paste; the sweetness should only be slight -- this is
not candy. Rotate in one’s palm to turn up the edges and with
the other hand pinch it closed as with a round dumpling. Place
the pinched side down, it is finished. Keep going, lots of
dough and paste remains. As the mochi is closed the top is
stretched, the second inner layer protects the outer from
ripping open and makes a better presentation as the innards
cannot be seen through the transparentness.
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