Mitsuwa "Traditional Rice Cake Pounding" - January

MITSUWA MARKETPLACE JAPANESE GROCERY STORE CELEBRATES
ANNUAL "MOCHI TSUKI" (TRADITIONAL RICE CAKE POUNDING)
(January 1, 2006)

Arlington Heights, IL. MITSUWA MARKETPLACE, the largest Japanese grocery store in the Midwest is celebrating its ANNUAL "MOCHI TSUKI" (TRADITIONAL RICE CAKE POUNDING) on January 1, 2006.

Mochi is a traditional Japanese rice cake made of glutinous rice, pounded into paste and molded into shape. Mochi Tsuki is a traditional Japanese ceremony of pounding mochi. For people in Japan, New Year cerebration is much larger than any other holidays and Mochi Tsuki is one of the main event. Because many Japanese families who reside in the United States do not have proper equipment used for Mochi Tsuki, (because they are very heavy and not usually sold in the United States) Mitsuwa Marketplace holds this ceremony every new year day to keep the tradition going and entertain country men. Mitsuwa would like to invite all other nationality to enjoy and have fun together.

Mochi is very sticky and can be eaten in many different ways. At Mitsuwa's ceremony, samples are given and both Azuki (Red Bean) and Kinako (soybean flour) are prepared for people to try. During the ceremony, everyone is welcome to join Mitsuwa Staff and help them pound.

It is a great experience and sure to make kids scream in joy. The event is free for everyone and kicks off at 12:00pm and repeats at 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and 3:00pm on January 1, 2006.

In addition to Mochi Tsuki, Mitsuwa will sell a lot of other traditional Japanese Foods specifically prepared for new year, too.

Mitsuwa Marketplace hopes that this event will be a bridge between not only the American and Japanese people, but among all ethnicities, allowing an exchange of cultural values for everyone.

Mitsuwa Marketplace
100 E. Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
(847) 956-6699

The New Year began with a bang at Mitsuwa with their traditional rice cake pounding. Sweet rice is already steamed and delivered hot to the hefty wooden bowel of a log.



They proceed to take a giant wooden mallet and pound the rice until it forms a paste.



This is a two man job as the second guy sticks his hands into the bowel between poundings to shift the dough around.



Turning the dough is not without its dangers. When it was the two guys going fast and furious, they kept a compatible rhythm. Later children were invited to pound the rice, which produced an unpredictable rhythm. Sure enough the dough turner got hit in the arm by the kids and was a bit bruised. A similar mistake with his colleague would have likely shattered his arm.



Once the dough has reached the correct consistency, then it is pulled into golf ball size pieces. The rice cake is either rolled in toasted soybean powder with a taste similar to peanuts or it is topped with red bean paste.



This is a very dense sticky mixture, which must be pulled apart with your fingers to be eaten bit by bit. Any attempt to swallow it whole is begging for sudden death because it could be easily lodged in your throat.

We talked to the pounding team afterwards. They indicated people now buy machines to produce the sticky rice cakes, though many still enjoy making it from scratch as they had demonstrated.

LTH was well represented by sazerac, A2fay, Josephine, helen, felixc and myself. What a great way to start the new year, learning something new and enjoying an interesting meal with friends.

All the best in the new year!

petit pois and I were there as well, for the noon event. It must have been earlier than all of you since we encountered a much, much bigger crowd. So large, in fact, that we weren't able to get a sample. I haven't been through my pics yet, but it was tough to take them since the crowd was stacked 5 deep.

It was a lot of fun to see this ritual and to see so many Japanese families enjoying it thouroughly.

Best,
Michael

Hi,

I arrived just after 1 PM. I met Sazerac and his wife just as they were leaving the food court. I had the impression they were there for the high noon show as well because they commented about not getting a taste as well.

Sorry to have missed you both. We were all talking about how much we enjoyed the slide show you and Mike put together.

Regards,

I went last year, but decided to skip it this year. This blog has the scoop with a short video clip. (Not sure if the blogger is a forum member. If this is a duplicate, please accept this newbie's apology.)

Has anyone made mochi from scratch? Is it really as easy as it looks?

Hi,

While I haven't made it from scratch, there is an opportunity perhaps for you give it a try. On the events board, there is another mochi-pounding on January 9th.

Regards,

matt59th wrote:Has anyone made mochi from scratch? Is it really as easy as it looks?

By easy, do you mean the repetitive and rhythmic overhead swinging of a wooden hammer or the quick-handed shaping of steaming hot rice paste before the downstroke?

But yes, mochi is essentially made of three ingredients: steamed short-grain rice, water, and hot, sweaty labor.

Of course, that's the traditional way. Most people in Japan nowadays buy it or make it in a machine. Fascinating to watch, but not merely as fun.

I have also been at motchitsuki events where numerous wooden poles are used rather than one wooden hammer.

Gastro Gnome, I used to think that it took more than mashing hot steamed rice to make mochi. I'm thinking my girlfriend's Molcajete might be able to do the job since we're not making a huge amount of mochi like they did at Mitsuwa. Would be interesting to give that a shot.

gastro gnome wrote:Most people in Japan nowadays buy it or make it in a machine.

Not just Japan - Tiger's Mochi Maker now available at Walmart! http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product. ... d=10779330 I've had mochi made from this machine and it's pretty good.

It's easy to make mochi using glutinous rice flour.
I've tried this method using a microwave and it works great for me:

http://www.thequenelle.com/2009/05/mucho-mochi.html

Louisa Chu wrote:

gastro gnome wrote:Most people in Japan nowadays buy it or make it in a machine.

Not just Japan - Tiger's Mochi Maker now available at Walmart! http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product. ... d=10779330 I've had mochi made from this machine and it's pretty good.

Oh my! I wish it weren't $200+. I've been saying for the last year or two that I'd love for cupcakes everywhere to be replaced with mochi shops because I never thought I could make my own.

kanin wrote:It's easy to make mochi using glutinous rice flour.
I've tried this method using a microwave and it works great for me:

http://www.thequenelle.com/2009/05/mucho-mochi.html

This has made my day. Guess what I'm doing tonight...

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

While I haven't made it from scratch, there is an opportunity perhaps for you give it a try. On the events board, there is another mochi-pounding on January 9th.

Regards,

For anyone interested, the Lovely Dining Companion and I may well be attending that event (or, possibly, another one she found out about). If interested, pm me! LDC went to more than her share of mochi-pounding/making growing up but I think she's willing to humor my interest.

Thanks, kanin. I vaguely remember seeing glutinous rice flour from Vietnam or Thailand in an Asian store. Is that the type of flour you use?