 mochi - Sweet Rice Cakes
Mochi, a delicious whole grain food, is made from a glutinous, high-protein variety of rice called sweet rice. The sweet rice is soaked, steamed, and pounded; then it is allowed to dry until it is firm enough to slice. This article by the Mitoku Company talks about Mochi's History, health benefits, and how traditional mochi is made with modern technology.
Late in December, traditional Japanese villages resound with the rhythmic pounding of sweet rice as families prepare mochi for the festive New Year's meal. A large, smooth bowl made from a hollowed-out log carved generations before and a heavy wooden mallet are set in place as the annual mochi-pounding ritual begins. It is usually the grandmother who begins the tradition by placing steamed rice into the hollowed log. After each resonant stroke of the grandfather's mallet, the grandmother turns the rice. They work together quickly and rhythmically. Grandmother bobs in, turns the mound, then leans aside each time the mallet crashes down, releasing billows of steam from the hot rice. After being pounded into a homogenous mass, the mochi is formed into small, flat cakes or balls known as o-hagi. Coated with sesame seeds or ground nuts, o-hagi is a children's favorite. The remaining mochi is allowed to dry, then it is stored in a cold place or refrigerated for later use.
MITOKU'S AUTHENTIC MOCHI MAKER
Born and raised in Nagoya, in a family of grain dealers, Nobuyuki Kojima has worked with rice all his life. As a young man, one of his family responsibilities was milling the bran from brown rice to make white rice. He always looked forward to running his father's business. However, at the age of twenty-three, Kojima was afflicted with a debilitating kidney disease that left him bedridden for six months. Totally discouraged with modern medicine and desperate to find some relief, he discharged himself from the hospital and immediately started a twenty-day fast. Using various traditional healing practices, such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, and yoga, Kojima slowly began to regain his strength.
Ironically, one day after Kojima returned to his rice-milling responsibilities, a customer happened to ask for whole grain brown rice. Kojima was shocked. Over the past one hundred years, highly polished rice had become a staple throughout Japan. "What are you going to do with brown rice?" asked Kojima. "I am going to eat it for my health," the elderly man laughingly replied. The customer went on to tell Kojima that brown rice had been recommended to him for his heart condition by a macrobiotic teacher. Moreover, he reported that eating brown rice every day had greatly improved his general health. That conversation, which took place over twenty-five years ago, literally transformed Kojima's life. Not only did he begin eating brown rice, which greatly improved his health, but in 1974 he started making brown rice mochi. At that time, making mochi from anything other than pure-white sweet rice was almost unheard of.
Presently, Kojima makes thousands of pounds of brown rice mochi every month, using methods he has developed through the years. His seven-day process begins by steaming 1,200 pounds of sweet brown rice, which yields about 1,600 pounds of mochi. The steamed rice is passed through a grinder that is similar to, but much larger than, the hand grinder used to chop meat. Grinding changes the whole grains of sweet brown rice into a sticky dough.
Next, the sweet-rice dough is pounded about sixty times by a uniquely designed automatic pounding machine. During the pounding stage, individual grains of rice are further broken down until they form a smooth, sticky mass. Kojima feels this hard pounding is what gives mochi its concentrated energy.
After pounding, while the mochi is still warm and soft, it is placed in molding boxes to set. The boxes are then placed in a refrigerator for three days.
The chilled mochi is cut easily into small blocks (approximately 1 x 2 inches). To prevent spoilage, Kojima immediately vacuum-packs his mochi and then sterilizes it by using steam heat. The complex packaging process gives Kojima's mochi a one-year shelf life and enables him to ship his product around the world.
In Japan, as well as North America, Kojima's most popular mochi is made with 100 percent sweet brown rice. However, he also makes other types of mochi by adding millet, mugwort, or black sesame seeds to the sweet brown rice.
A word of caution: it is possible to eat too much mochi, especially Kojima's mochi. Mochi has a way of growing in your stomach. Oddly, in Japan the antidote for eating too much mochi is more rice! Nanakusa (seven herbs of spring), which is a simple rice gruel cooked with seven herbs, is often served around the holidays to relieve a bloated stomach. However, we've discovered that the best way to survive a mochi feast is with a long walk.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF MOCHI
Japanese folklore and traditional medicine attest to mochi's ability to warm the body and increase energy. Mochi's sweet taste nourishes the pancreas, spleen, and stomach.
Physically strengthening and easy to digest, mochi is an excellent food for people who are in a weakened condition. Japanese farmers and laborers favor mochi during colder months because of its reputation for increasing one's stamina.
Mochi is recommended for such health problems as anemia, blood-sugar imbalances, and weak intestines. Pregnant and lactating women benefit, because it strengthens both mother and child and encourages a plentiful supply of milk. Mochi made with the herb mugwort, which grows wild throughout Japan, is particularly high in calcium and iron and is traditionally given to women after childbirth. Mugwort mochi is also good for people who are anemic and those who want to gain weight.
MOCHI QUALITY
Although mochi is still hand-pounded for the holidays, most of the pure white mochi found in Japanese supermarkets and Oriental foods stores in the United States is squeezed through a modern grinder/extruder. Pounding mochi is backbreaking work, but mochi produced this way is significantly better tasting than the extruded product. What's more, some traditionalists feel extruded mochi lacks the healing qualities of the traditional pounded variety. Also, conventional mochi makers actually cook their products in the package rather than cooking before packaging and than pasteurizing. According to traditionalists, this makes a difference in taste and digestibility of mochi.
Fortunately, there are a few small mochi makers that combine the quality of pounding with the convenience of automation. One of these is Nobuyuki Kojima, maker of Mitoku Company's sweet brown rice mochi.
Sweet Pecan Mochi
Serves 4
Sweet Pecan Mochi is a delicious and satisfying dessert, snack, or special breakfast treat.
1 cup pecan halves
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
8 pieces mochi (2 x 2½ inches)
1/3 cup rice malt
In a dry frying pan over medium heat, toast the pecans, stirring constantly until crisp and fragrant (3-5 minutes). Transfer pecans to a bowl or suribachi, and grind into a coarse meal. Add salt, toss well, and taste. Add more salt, if desired. Set aside.
Pan-fry the mochi (see Pan-fried Mochi recipe). When tender, dip each piece in rice malt to coat. (If malt is too thick, warm it until it flows easily.) Shake off excess malt, then roll pieces in generous amount of roasted pecan meal. Enjoy!
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