In the past, it was very common for Japanese families to get together to make MOCHI (rice balls), which are pounded in a wooden mortar, on New Year’s Eve or also on festive occasions.
Even today, some families maintain this tradition. The rice used in Moti is not the usual rice used to make rice, it is a special, harder rice.
Mochi is made in a Japanese mortar (kine-杵), that is, a pestle (ussu), with the help of a wooden hammer (tsuchi).
Being a task for two people:
- One person beats while another sprinkles a little water in between beatings, this is done so that the rice does not stick to the stick or pestle.
- Beat several times until the rice reaches the right consistency, a smooth and firm dough.
This traditional method usually gathers many people around the pestle and each one hits it a few times, symbolizing the union of forces and human effort to have good luck in the coming year.
Also at the end of the year, KAGAMI MOCHI is made, which is a traditional Japanese decoration made of Mochi to bring good luck and prosperity in the new year. Kagami Mochi is traditionally used from December 28th to January 11th.
