Subject: Mochitsuki
Yesterday (Sunday, 19 Dec 1999), was the annual mochitsuki
in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California.
A few photos are posted on the web to give you a "virtual view"
of the mochi and the traditional process:
Little Tokyo Mochitsuki 1999
http://janet.org/~ebihara/mochitsuki/
I had a fun time. Feel free to take a look.
Subject: Re: Mochitsuki
> < Mochitsuki images >
Good photos. Looks like "fun" but alot of hard work. Looks yummy, too.
Subject: Re: Mochitsuki
> Looks like "fun" but alot of hard work.
Yes, the traditional process takes some work, but it is well worth it.
When you get the frozen ones at the Asian food market,
it's not quite the same. Maybe one appreciates
the effort more when you actually do it.
> Looks yummy, too.
There's nothing that hits the spot better than freshly made mochi!
Also, it's kind of a nice community feeling with everyone -- young
and old, working together and helping to make the mochi.
About 80 people came this year.
Subject: Re: Mochitsuki
> It's kind of a nice community feeling with everyone --
> young and old, working together and helping to make
> the mochi... About 80 people came this year.
I remember in the late 1950s, my grandparents in Morgan Hill, CA, had a
mochitsuke at their house every year. A bunch of Issei families would come,
and the men took turns wielding the big heavy mallet, but my Baachan was
always the one that would reach into the hollowed log between each stroke
and turn the rice. I marvelled at her precise timing and her trust that she
wouldn't get her fingers mashed.
After the mochi was made, the ladies would
gather around a big outdoor table (boards covered with butcher paper and
propped up on sawhorses), each with a huge mound of mochi which they
pinched off and shaped into cakes on the rice-flour-covered table. Each
family took their share home and stored it in the freezer. They must have
made tons of it, because I remember trimming the green mold off the edges
of old mochi and popping into a buttered frying pan.
They would also make the special Oshogatsu mochi in three sizes to stack in
front of the Obutsudan, topped with a tangerine. And Baachan made a big pot
of an (sweet bean paste), and the ladies would make fresh manju.
My cousin keeps up the tradition with a mochi machine and holiday party.
Subject: Re: Mochitsuki
> The men took turns weilding the big heavy mallet,
> but my Baachan was always the one that would reach into
> the hollowed log between each stroke and turn the rice.
> I marvelled at her precise timing and her trust that
> she wouldn't get her fingers mashed.
I chuckled a bit at this. There were some close calls during the
Los Angeles mochitsuki -- especially with the inexperienced sansei
and yonsei who aren't as practiced in the "art" of pounding mochi.
I learned the other day, that it is important to have good
"sound effects" during the pounding to assist in the rhythm and the timing.
I was just thinking right now how this is nice tradition to keep --
away from some of the commercialism of shopping for gifts at the mall.
Subject: Re: Mochitsuki
> > The men took turns wielding the big heavy mallet,
> > but my Baachan was always the one that would reach into
> > the hollowed log between each stroke and turn the rice.
> > I marvelled at her precise timing and her trust that
> > she wouldn't get her ingers mashed.
>
> I chuckled a bit at this. We had close calls during the
> mochitsuki on Sunday -- especially with the inexperienced
> sansei and yonsei who aren't as practiced in the "art" of
> pounding mochi. I learned the other day, that it is
> important to have good "sound effects" during the pounding
> to assist in the rhythm and the timing.
At the Mochitsuki where I live in Northwest,
the local taiko group keeps the mochi-pounding beat
and everybody leaves at the end of the day with fingers intact.
Subject: Re: Mochitsuki
Where I grew up in the south, we never had mochitsuki that I recall.
We had to put in our orders for mochi months in advance--and this
would get sent special delivery to the only Japanese market in town
from L.A. (... or Japan via L.A.?) in the form of frozen packages.
Not a very romantic memory, I know, but perhaps it gives you an idea
of how small and remote our community was (and probably still is --
though I think the local market now stocks a few extra frozen packages
for people who didn't get their order in on time.).
A few years ago, I was so excited when I received some fresh mochi from a
friend's son who pounded it at a local (Northern California) Nikkei Church.
It's nice to know that these traditions still exist!
Well, I think New Year's will be quiet for us, but I plan to make
ozouni, at the very least.
It won't seem like New Year's without it.
Subject: Re: Mochitsuki
> < Mochitsuki images >
The mochitsuki images and postings bring back a lot of memories--
my adult children still talk about the flavor of the mochi
when Grandpa toasted was able to sneak out some freshly made
mochi for the grandchildren and toasted it over the open fire
while the rest of the rice steamed. For them, this is the difference
between the taste of our now mochi-machine made mochi and
the kind they remember. We are trying to re-create our
family mochitsuki but it's hard to find the wood to make a
usu (mortar) and kine. The ones that have been brought
from Japan all eventually crack because we don't have the
humidity here in the West to keep the wood in good condition.
We do have public mochitsuki here a the Denver Buddhist Temple from time to time.
Subject: Re: Mochitsuki
Dear Ties-Talkers:
Can anyone help this person who is looking for a mochi machine?
> I saw a picture of an event where you were pounding mochi
> and also utilizing a motorized grinder. I would like to
> find out where I could purchase a grinder similar to that.
> My grandfather's machine just died on him after 30+ years
> and he would like to replace it. Please e-mail me any
> information that you may have regarding this type of machine.
> He still has two big wooden hammers and that giant log with
> a hollowed-out bowl at the top, but he really doesn't like
> the texture of pounded mochi and has instead turned to
> processing with a grinder. He produces mochi for about
> 10 families in Hilo, Hawaii. They bring over the rice and
> steam it in bamboo baskets in his backyard stove. He really
> doesn't want to have to tell those families that he can't
> do it this year so I am hoping that you can help me.
>
> Thanks
Subject: Re: Mochitsuki
< Request for mochi machine information >
What a great story! You will be glad to know that your grandfather
needn't lift another wooden hammer, and the 10 families won't have
to go without mochi this year. Mochi is important enough to the
Japanese that they have designed a home appliance specifically for
the purpose of making mochi:
Zojirushi - Gourmet Collection (Mochi Maker is about halfway down page)
http://zojirushi.com/gourmet.html
- doubles as a bread dough kneader
- this latest model looks about half the size of the one my mother
had my relatives send from Japan 25 years ago.
The Gourmet Kitchen
http://gourmet.org/Zgourmet.html
- buy the Mochi Maker online, for $350
The Virtual Kitchen Store
<"http://vkitchen.com/Zojir.html">
http://vkitchen.com/Zojir.html
- save 1/6 off the list price
Japanese Mochi Making
http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/humnet/folklore/folk15/Cindy%20Wong/home.html
- a study of how technological advances have changed folk processes
Subject: Re: Mochitsuki
It's late December now, and I haven't heard anything about
a mochitsuki where I live. I wonder if it happened already?
Subject: Re: Mochitsuki
> It's late December now, and I haven't heard anything about
> a mochitsuki where I live. I wonder if it happened already?
I just got the latest issue of our Japanese community
newspaper, and saw an ad for our mochitsuki, to be
held the first week of February, around the time of the
lunar new year. If you didn't see anything about your local
mochitsuki before Xmas, maybe that is when it will occur.
A lot of Japanese holidays as celebrated by Nikkei-jin get
decoupled from their traditional dates, due to scheduling conflicts
or other things.
In the case of our mochitsuki, it is a case of being
more traditional than Japan, in that they keep the old calendar
that was abandoned by urban Japan in Meiji times. Very confusing.
Last updated 04 January 2000