Mochi, the traditional Japanese dessert par excellence

Des mochi colorés

Des mochi colorés

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A pastry made from sticky rice

Very popular in Asia, mochi is a traditional pastry made from sticky rice.  It is also paired or filled with anko (red bean paste) and other ingredients. Originally from China, this dessert is now a must in Japan! And especially on New Year's Day, synonymous with the event!

A dessert savored all over Japan

Introduced to Japan at the end of the Jômon period (300 BC), mochi is a thousand-year-old dessert that holds a special place in the hearts of the Japanese.

Used as an offering during religious ceremonies under Heian (794-1185), it very quickly arrived on the tables of the nobility during the Muromachi period (1336-1573) when it became an indispensable part of the tea ceremony. Due to its very sweet taste, it complements the bitterness of green tea wonderfully! Mochi is still used in the art of Sado.

De l'akafuku, servi avec un peu de thé

De l'akafuku, servi avec un peu de thé

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The base for kagamimochi, the cakes used at the Shinto shrine during New Years ceremonies, mochi must be prepared several weeks in advance to allow the dough to rest. Its production attracts crowds, and many people flock to the streets every year to witness the kneading of mochi (called mochitsuki ) which often takes place in public at the end of December.

It must be said that the mochitsuki is a show in itself!

 

Un kagami mochi

Tous les Japonais auront chez eux au moment du Nouvel An un kagami mochi, qui doit être brisé une fois le Nouvel An passé

Mochi recipe

Goma mochi

Du goma mochi

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