The English Parents had previously tried mochi and been perturbed by it’s texture and taste.  So I was a little worried when Kusumoto san asked us to join his mochi making.

The day was warm and sunny with absolutely no wind.  When we arrived, Kusumoto san had everything ready (as is the case around here – everyone is extremely well organised and prepared.  I suppose they have been doing this for many years now so they know how things work best): the dogs had been moved, the fire was burning, the rice was steaming and the beach chair was ready.

The special glutenous rice had been soaking in water for 3 days previously before it is steamed.  After 30 minutes or so, the top box is lifted off the four-tier steamer and tipped into the mochi machine which does away with the mochi pounding altogether.

It’s a bit of a shame to miss the hammer and stone bowl method but still the English Parents were very impressed with the machine.

In the machine, very quickly the glutenous rice begins to turn into a dense white dough-like form.  Kus san keep adding water to the mixture and this works like a lubricant and helps the dough to become very smooth.  When the dough is ball-like and ultra smooth Kus san lifts it into a large wide wooden bowl that has been sprinkled with rice flour.  The dough is formed into balls.

Apparently, you can’t make mochi on the 29th of December.  I have no idea why.

Kus san says the English Parents should have a little walk around, visit the shrine over the river.  There is over 25kg of rice to process so we have some time.

At the shrine we meet the priest who is cleaning.  He aks if we want to see inside the shrine.  It’s full of intereting objects, drawings, paintings, materials, posters, carvings, embroidery.  The ceiling is constructed from planks of wood that must be three or four foot wide and about 30 foot long.

(Below)  A painting on a piece of baleen.

Back at Kus san’s house, the machine is still rumbling and the steamer is still smoking.

Now it is mochi with nori.

The machine pounds it into a green dough.  There are always bits of mochi left stuck to the machine and these are nice to pick and eat.
English Parents talk about how nice to have outdoor space to make things like this.  They talk about making pasta more often and we talk about how worrying whether the tools you are using look stylish enough stops you actually making things.  English Parents will try and make mochi when they return to the UK.  They have a lot of the same equipment (not exactly the same but close) and the enjoyed the experience so much I think it reignited their passion.  Actually processing food yourself, with hardwork (even with a machine!) makes you enjoy what you are eating more – even if it isn’t your favourite food, it makes it more tasty.  Good luck with the mochi making English Parents, I am looking forward to seeing how it turns out!