This is a blog about our life in Japan. I am Nicole, and my husband's name is Will or Bill or William, depending who you ask. We are English teachers in Mizuho City, Gifu Prefecture.
Mochi is a Japanese food. They seem to eat it a lot around New Years. It is made out of a special sticky rice. They take this rice and put in what looks like a giant mortar and pestle and smash the rice into a think gooey substance. After it's nice and gooey they do many things with it. They may take some mochi and add seaweed and soy sauce or a sweet soy sauce powder or ground up daikon or mix it with sweet azuki. Really the possibilities are endless. We even ate one with a strawberry inside.
Back in December we went to Ono Clover Kindergarten to watch and participate in making homemade traditional mochi. Nowadays with modern technology they don't really have to do it this way anymore. However, it is a fun ceremony for children complete with a little song. There is a youtube video down at the end of this post, if you want to hear it. You can buy mochi in any store, but I am sure there is no fun ceremony in the factory.
It looks like a mortar and pestle as you can see.
Just beat it!
You need to add water in between the beatings. In the next picture you can see her adding it.
Adding water
After it has been beaten for a while she shows us all the mochi.
ohhh ahhhh wow!
Back in it goes for some more beating!
Everyone got the chance to beat the mochi, including Will and me!
The children taking a swing at! Some of them got to use the big hammer while younger children had a smaller one to use.
note the two kids in the background that are so over this event!
Now here are some pictures of the kids eating the mochi, playing with Will and having fun!
Praying or something for the food. Itadakimasu
This mochi had the sweet soy powder on it.
Showing me her mochi.
Should I eat this?
Yeah, I should!
This mochi was wrapped in seaweed and drizzled with soy sauce.
note the heart Shion-chan is making with her hands. :)
