RICE CAKE
( MOCHI )

Rice cake ( mochi ) is made from glutinous rice which is stickier than ordinaly rice.
1- steam glutinous rice
2- pound it in a mortar* or an electric rice cake machine until it takes on a sticky consistency.
3- make into flat round cakes ( pic below ) or large flat square sheet.
( in general round mochi is the Western Japan style and square mochi is the Eastern Japan style )
4- If you make the sqaure mochi, cut the large square mochi
sheet into smaller square pieces after it become a little bit hard

*called mochitsuki

dipped in soy sause	wrapped with nori ( dried sea vegetable )

Yakimochi ( pics ) and zouni are popular foods
involving rice cakes.


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On New Year's Day mirror-shaped rice cakes ( kagamimochi ) are
offered to the gods in most of the Japanese family.
Kagamimochi is a pair of two round rice cakes, one smaller than the other,
with the smaller one placed on a larger one.


mochitsuki

mochinage