Message from Shawn Iguchi

Mochi the New Year food and ritual

If you ever have a chance to visit Japan in New Year, there are foods that you should try.

One of the special foods served during New Year season is “Mochi”. Mochi doesn’t exist in China and Korea although that they have slightly resembling kind of Mochi but its process and ingredient to make and texture are totally different.

(Please take a look at the attached pictures)

Every New Year in the morning, a traditional Japanese family makes Mochi to dedicate for their family Shinto altar. It is a ritual to welcome a house-assigned god for New Year.

Mochi is considered the highest treat since old time in Japan.

Although Mochi is available throughout the year but Mochi is only original Japanese food.

In Korea, they eat “Toppogi” which is made from powdered rice. In Japan, it’s called “Dango” but it’s nothing like Mochi. The texture is different.

On January 1^st, people in Japan eat “Ozouni” whichi is a bowl of Miso soup cooked with a lot of vegetables, some meats (depends family), and Mochi. It’s a ritual of Japanese New Year worshiping Shinto.

There is also a New Year food called “Zenzai /Oshiruko” which is sweets cooked with red beans and sugar with Mochi. Girls love it. It’s available throughout the year so you should try it to experience the texture of Mochi.

A lot of Japanese people love baked Mochi including myself.

Look for “Sato Kirimochi” in Amazon in your country. They are available and cheap.

<< How to cook baked Mochi >>

1. Put them in an oven

2. When they get swollen.

3. Take them out and dip them in Soy Sauce (It has to be Kikkoman 'Japanese' brand)

4. Put them back in the oven and bake them for another couple of minutes. And it’s done!

5. Wrap it with Nori and eat it. It’s delicious and smells so good!

People who are used to eat Mochi add some Cheese or vegetable in it.

Cheese, Nori, Soy Sauce, and Mochi go pretty well!