1. Do you like Mochi? （mow-chee, not mow-qui） おもち たべた〜い \^o^/
Today’s presentation introduces:
What is Mochi?
Two major kinds - how different?
The Mochi - how to make
Variety sauce for Mochi

2. Confectionery vs. Meal
wagashi (Japanese traditional sweets) such as daihuku & dango are made of regular rice flour. Mochi ice cream is same way. They are made in a similar way as noodles and bread, etc. (flour into dough).
Real mochi are made of mochi-rice (a.k.a. sweet rice). They are steamed and pounded. Mochi-rice turns very sticky when cooked. (Japanese short grain rice [a.k.a. sushi rice] are sticky, too. But, mochi-rice are super sticky.)

3. daihuku/dango vs. mochi
daihuku & dango are eaten anytime of the year.
the mochi are special for New Year’s celebration.

4. all about mochi
NY’s decoration (offering to the god) is called “kagami-mochi”
Kusa mochi made with Japanese herb called yomogi
East Japan:
← recutangular
　West Japan: round →

5. how to make mochi ? have a right kind of rice (“sweet rice”)
rinse, let them soak in the water (12 hrs)
steam (30-40 min) **start the video**
pound -- fun to beat them up!
make into small shape (square or round)
prepare sauce/soup
いただきます！
Be careful, don’t hit me!?

6. More about Mochi O-Zouni (mochi soup) is special for NY’s.
It gets so hard when it
gets cold, but you can
heat it up...crunchy outside
and chewy inside. Yummy!
O-Zouni (mochi soup)
is special for NY’s.
O-Shiruko is made with
red beans called Aduki.

7. different sauce, etc. The sauce you are getting is made of sugar & soy
sauce (same portion). It is sweet and becomes like
honey syrup. Young children like it.

8. common styles
Most common & easy way is shou-yu [soy sauce] wrapped with nori [seaweed] (not sweet).
Another common one is called Kinako mochi (soy flour & sugar).