The Culture Behind Mochi Making
Today, we’re talking about a unique food, mochi. Although I rarely eat it, it’s one of the desserts that I like. I like its unique texture and fillings. Eating mochi lifts my mood during the day.
Mochi (餅 / もち) is a dessert that is made from Japanese rice (mochigome / もち米). It usually comes with various fillings. The most common fillings are bean paste (e.g.: red bean, white bean), fruits (e.g.: strawberry), and ice cream. Mochi also has a soft, sticky, and elastic texture, which makes it unique. Mochi contains high carbohydrates and is low in protein and fat.
Mochi and Japanese Culture
Japanese people usually eat mochi on special occasions, especially in the new year. This festival is usually conducted at the end of December towards early January.
There is a tradition called Mochitsuki, in which people make mochi as part of the festival. The iconic activities from this festival include pounding steamed glutinous rice in a big mortar, which is done with a few people.
How Mochi is Made
Making mochi starts with soaking mochigome overnight to hydrate the grain. Soaked mochigome then steamed until it has a soft texture. The next step is pounding the dough using a mortar until it has a smooth and elastic texture. Then, the mochi is cut into the desired size, add the filling, and shaped. Mochi then steamed, baked, or fried. Heat from these processes makes mochi soften and expand. Then the mochi is ready to be consumed!
Studies Related to Mochi
There are some studies to improve the nutritional value of mochi. The researches are focusing on substituting rice flour in mochi with functional ingredients in a certain ratio. Researchers are focusing on substituting the mochi filling, too. The focus of the research is to increase antioxidants, dietary fibers, vitamins, and minerals.
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