Mochi is a Japanese rice cake, and my kids and I love it! Damon is not too crazy about it, but he was a good sport this past weekend joining us on this outing. For years we have watched or participated in this Japanese tradition in the United States. When I was about 14 years old, my family drove all the way from Bend, Oregon to Los Angeles, California to pound mochi at my Uncle's house. We used the family heirloom that my grandfather had brought from Okinawa, Japan to America. My cousins, aunties and uncles all gathered to celebrate the new year by pounding and making mochi. My other experiences making mochi have been with my Dad in Portland, Oregon with the Japanese American Cultural League, or the Neikki legacy center. Here I am in China, thousands of miles away from my parents making mochi, being reminded of my Japanese heritage. I don't know if anything in my life has made me miss my Dad so much.
When pounding mochi you need to have teamwork. The person turning the rice needs to be very quick and move their hands out of the way before they get pounded themselves.
This past weekend in Dalian, China, we made Japanese Mochi with expat friends from all around the world.
Mochi is a Japanese rice cake, and my kids and I love it! Damon is not too crazy about it, but he was a good sport this past weekend joining us on this outing. For years we have watched or participated in this Japanese tradition in the United States. When I was about 14 years old, my family drove all the way from Bend, Oregon to Los Angeles, California to pound mochi at my Uncle's house. We used the family heirloom that my grandfather had brought from Okinawa, Japan to America. My cousins, aunties and uncles all gathered to celebrate the new year by pounding and making mochi. My other experiences making mochi have been with my Dad in Portland, Oregon with the Japanese American Cultural League, or the Neikki legacy center. Here I am in China, thousands of miles away from my parents making mochi, being reminded of my Japanese heritage. I don't know if anything in my life has made me miss my Dad so much.
When pounding mochi you need to have teamwork. The person turning the rice needs to be very quick and move their hands out of the way before they get pounded themselves.
This past weekend in Dalian, China, we made Japanese Mochi with expat friends from all around the world.
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