Mochi

Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made from mochigome, a short-grain glutinous rice. The grains are soaked, drained, steamed, and then pounded with a pestle or mallet in a large mortar until a sticky, smooth paste forms. The paste is shaped into discs or other forms and dusted with starch to prevent sticking. In modern production, mochigome flour (mochiko) or instant mochi mixes can be used as substitutes for traditional pounding.

Plain mochi can be eaten as is or sweetened. It is commonly used in fillings and confections such as daifuku, where mochi is filled with sweet red bean paste, as well as sakuramochi and kashi mochi. A well-known modern variant is mochi ice cream, which sandwiches ice cream between two layers of mochi. Seasonal forms include hishi mochi, a tri-color diamond cake used for Hinamatsuri, and kagami mochi, a pair of mochi offerings displayed for New Year.

Mochi has long played a role in Japanese celebrations and offerings. It is often eaten during New Year and other festivals, and regional varieties exist. Fresh mochi has a short shelf life; it can be refrigerated briefly or frozen; dried or semidried mochi is also available, and toasting or grilling is common for warm servings.

Because mochi is very sticky, it can pose a choking hazard if not chewed thoroughly, particularly for small children and the elderly. People who are not accustomed to it should cut mochi into small pieces and chew well. Outside Japan, mochi and mochiko-based sweets are widely produced and sold, including frozen mochi and ice cream varieties in many countries.