Explainer: Mochi, Japan’s Traditional Celebration Food

“At the end of every year, when I was a kid, I remember people making mochi in my hometown, in Kamakura,” chef Nobuyuki Ura of Sydney restaurant Ora tells Broadsheet. “My grandpa and grandma, cousins, everyone would come and we’d gather the backyard watching as one person pounded the mochi, while another person added water little by little. They stayed in rhythm by shouting, ‘yoi-sho, yoi-sho!’.”

Yu Ozone, co-owner of Comeco Foods in Sydney, has similar memories. “I absolutely loved when our relatives gathered for New Year celebrations,” she says. “We made mochi and I ate it with my grandmother’s homemade anko [sweet red bean paste] on top. Mochi to me represents family, lively gatherings and happiness.”

What is mochi?

Mochi is a soft, chewy Japanese delicacy made from just two ingredients: water and glutinous rice called mochigome (“mo-chee-go-meh”). Mochigome is a glutinous, short grain rice. A high amylopectin content makes it extremely sticky.

“Mochi is made by steaming glutinous rice then kneading it while adding water until the individual grains disappear. The result has a smooth and stretchy texture,” Ozone says. “Glutinous rice has a natural sweetness that is more pronounced than regular rice, giving mochi a mild, sweet flavour and aroma.”

In Japan, mochi is typically reserved for celebrations such as New Year, Children’s Day, harvests, and weddings. There are records of people eating mochi as far back as the Kofun period (300–538 AD).

“Mochi is a strong part of Japanese culture, and we’ve been making and eating it for thousands of years,” Ura says. “In Japan, the main religion is Shinto. We pray at ceremonies at certain times of year and then eat mochi. Mochi is sacred – it originated as an offering to the gods.”

Different mochi is reserved for different events. At New Year, there’s kagami, a decorative, stacked mochi intended to bring happiness and fortune. Zoni, a clear soup containing mochi and vegetables, is also on the menu. During cherry blossom festivals in the spring, there’s sakuramochi – pink mochi filled with red bean paste and wrapped in a salted cherry blossom leaf. And on Girls’ Day (or Doll’s Day) in March, people eat hishimochi, diamond-shaped beauties made with pink, green and white layers.

What is warabi mochi?

Classic glutinous rice flour mochi has a narrow definition, but the word “mochi” can also refer to other foods with a soft, chewy texture.

That’s where warabi mochi comes in. The soft, wobbly sweet is made from bracken fern starch (warabiko) and it’s gaining popularity in Australia, particularly with the opening of Osaka chain Torori in Melbourne and Sydney.

“Warabi mochi has a similar texture to traditional mochi, which is why it shares the name, even though the ingredients are different,” Ozone says. “Unlike classic mochi, which is deeply tied to traditions and celebrations, warabi mochi is more a casual, refreshing summer snack, often enjoyed chilled and coated with syrup and kinako, a roasted soybean flour.”

How is mochi made?

Mochi is pounded with tools that resemble an oversized mortar and pestle, a process called mochitsuki. The large wooden or stone usu acts as the mortar, and the kine (“kee-neh”) is a wooden mallet used to pound the rice.

“The rice is first soaked overnight and then steamed to the perfect softness,” Ozone says. “After steaming, it’s placed in the usu, and one person pounds the rice rhythmically with the kine, while another quickly wets their hands and folds the mochi between each strike to ensure even texture and avoid sticking.

“Timing is crucial because the kine is heavy, and mistiming can result in injury.”

Depending on the experience of the makers, mochitsuki can go on for 10 to 20 minutes. The goal is to break down the rice grains entirely, transforming them into a smooth, stretchy dough. Mochitsuki is a sensitive process and getting the right texture takes care and experience. If the mochigome is under-steamed, it will be grainy; if it’s overcooked, it will be too watery and difficult to work with. The coordination of the mochi-making team is also important. Pound the mochi unevenly and it won’t have a smooth, stretchy consistency. Adding too much or too little water while pounding will make the mochi either too soft or prone to cracking.

What’s the difference between Australian “mochi” and Japanese mochi?

Products called mochi are fairly common in Australia. Shelf-stable versions filled with black sesame or matcha paste are sold in Asian grocers, and grocery stores like Coles and Woolworths sell coloured mochi filled with ice cream in the freezer section.

“That’s not mochi,” Ura says. “That’s a snack.”

Ozone agrees. “In Australia, the term ‘mochi’ is often used to refer to sweets where mochi dough wraps around fillings like red bean paste or ice-cream. These contain a lot of sugar and stabilisers like trehalose. In Japan, those are not called mochi.”

In Japan, mochi stuffed with a filling like red bean paste or fresh fruit is called daifuku, while ice-cream wrapped in mochi is called mochi ice (or yukimi daifuku, after one of the most common brands).

Where can you find mochi in Australia?

According to Ozone, freshly pounded, authentic mochi is almost impossible to find in Australia. For occasions that call for mochi, Japanese families typically make it themselves.

“If you’re making mochi from glutinous rice, you’ll likely need a steamer and a stand mixer, but you can also make mochi-based sweets using Erawan brand glutinous rice flour. It’s sold in a green packet and is available at most supermarkets.”

The flour is microwaved with sugar and water to make mochi for daifuku, or mixed with tofu and shaped into small pieces that are boiled to make dango (chewy rice dumplings).

If you’re in Sydney, Comeco Foods sells real mochi on some weekends. Keep an eye on social media for dates.