Mochitsuki, the Basics

Okay, believe it or not, I actually keep a list of things that I want to write about in my blogs. It is just a matter of finally getting around to them....well, you know.

Today, there is a little thing I'd like to talk about called, mochitsuki (literally, "mochi making"). Mochitsuki is a tradition activity that has become more of less of a standard beginning of the year company ritual. Organizations set up the traditional equipment and provide the ingredients so that members, friends, and family of the group can come, pound giant mallets, and eat chewy, delicious paste to welcome in the new year. One such mochistuki was held by the construction workers at ICU. They invited everyone in to help them celebrate, and while I was interested in how the rice was actually made into mochi, I came mostly for the free lunch!

Hold on, what? Mochi? Oh, well that's uh.... I mean, it....hmm...right then. We'll call in a professional for this one: Wikipedia.

Mochi is traditionally made in a ceremony called mochitsuki. Traditionally, mochi was made from whole, polished, glutinous rice, in a labor-intensive process. While also eaten year-round, mochi is a traditional food for the Japanese New Year and is commonly sold and eaten during that time. Mochi is also a prominent snack in Hawaii, South Korea, Taiwan, Cambodia, and Thailand.

Further fun fact: The Japanese believe that there is a rabbit (not a man) on the moon and he pounds mochi with a large mallet.

Now that business is done with, let's move on. After the usual Saturday morning Wadaiko practice, I scampered over the the construction grounds just in time for the community's taiko performance. They were playing a piece that I knew which was very refreshing and, to my surprise, many other Wadaiko kids showed up to watch, too. They were on their way to see the latest Harry Potter movie, but had decided to stop off for mochi-on-a-stick instead of pay hundreds of yen for a bucket of Japanese popcorn. As an audience-powered people, the Japanese encourage unison cheering, something which I am also for, but I don't know the words. I tried faking it, but I ended up just saying the of an Arabic rice dish or other nonsensical phrases that sounded close enough. The rest of the mochitsuki was rather uneventful, in truth, but the experience was well worth the wait in line for the soup! I may or may not have had 4ths of the soup, by the way. Don't believe everything you hear.

People were constantly pounding mochi which was then used in every way imaginable by the cooks. Folks of all sizes gave mochi making a go, even little kids. I, apparently, did better than expected, but my friend Kaze wowwed more people than I did. Feeling pretty good about myself, I stood tall and proud until this spindly, little Japanese guy waltzed up, grabbed the largest mallet available and began pounding mochi with the timed precision of a Rolex watch! This man pounded on time, every time, with such force, I couldn't believe it!

Overall, a very enjoyable experience. We should do that again sometime. Next year? Sounds good. Although, this Saturday I'm rather excited for a Udon Noodle Making Party at Musashi-Koganei!! Soup! Soup for everyone!!!