Dining According to Karen: Mochi Pounding

Pounding steamed mochi rice into a sticky dough to form delectable little "cakes" is a New Year tradition in the Japanese culture. The stickiness of the rice symbolizes binding the family together.

When I was growing up, our longtime neighbor, the Hayashi's, pounded mochi every New Year. I used to watch them from my kitchen window as their extended family members took turns pounding the hot rice into a sticky dough. They did it the traditional way, with two men pounding the rice with heavy wooden mallets while a third man risked his life by diving in between poundings to turn the mixture with his bare hand.

Once the mochi was pounded and formed into individual servings, one of the Hayashi's daughters would bring over a plate of warm mochi cakes filled with 'anko' (sweet red bean paste). I regret that I never appreciated their efforts and usually didn't eat my share.

Today, not many people pound their own mochi to welcome in the New Year. It is a labor of love for those blessed with a strong sense of tradition as well as a strong back! Thank goodness that our friends, Gail and Gordon, continue to keep this tradition alive with the help of their many friends and extended family. We dropped in on the fun today for the first time.

Our gracious hosts, Gail and Gordon

Pounding steamed mochi rice with a heavy wooden mallet in an 'usu' (stone bowl) . . .

. . . . Requires team work, coordination, and strength.
Here are two pounders spreading the mochi rice around just before pounding it into a sticky dough.

Here is my husband giving it a try. Outside of the photo is our friend, Elias, who is waiting his turn to pound the mixture in turn with my husband. When one mallet goes up, the other comes crashing down.

Neal showed me how to form the warm mochi dough into individual "cakes."
This was traditionally "women's work," but no longer.

After dividing the large slab of dough into smaller pieces . . .

. . . flatten the dough with your fingers . . .

. . . then pinch the dough back together to form a round, flat ball.

This is what you get after rolling the ball between both hands.

Fillings are sometimes added before pinching the dough closed. Our options today were chocolate mocha, peanut butter, or 'anko' (sweet red bean paste). Some of the balls were left plain to be added to 'Ozoni" (mochi soup traditionally served during the new year). Others without filling were rolled in 'kinako' (sweetened soybean powder). Yum!