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Mochi Rice Cake
Mochi, a glutinous dough made from steamed rice, is a favorite food among the Japanese. At least two people are required to make mochi the traditional way: a mallet man and a flipper. The movements of the two must be perfectly synchronized, and the best teams can be very interesting to watch. Mochi is used in various ways at the New Year and on important occasions in life. At weddings, the groom may take part in mochi pounding. Its stickiness symbolizes a wish that the couple will enjoy a strong, lasting bond. A soup of mochi, vegetables, meat, and seafood is an essential part of many New Year's meals throughout Japan. The recipes vary not only from region to region, but almost from family to family. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, we look at mochi rice cake - a food steeped in history and the Japanese way of life.
Aired: Jan 13, 2011 Genre: DocumentaryCasts: Peter BarakanDuration: 28m Rating: 0 Country: Japan, United Kingdom Production:
Episodes
01: Mochi Rice Cake02: Watches and Clocks03: Fugu Blowfish04: Haneda Airport05: Kagura Dances06: Snow07: Pollen Allergy08: Sashimono Woodwork09: Cranes10: Kitchen Knives11: Fishing12: Armour13: Judo14: The Life of Taro Okamoto15: The Life of Osamu Dazai16: The Life of Kenzo Tange17: The Life of Hideko Maehata18: Toilets19: Lifts20: Motorcycles21: Unagi Eel22: Japanophiles - Ilan Yanizky23: Japanophiles - Silvain Guignard24: Japanophiles - Stéphane Danton25: Japanophiles - Dorothy Feibleman26: Plastic Food Samples27: Insects28: Traditional Japanese Mathematics29: Bicycles30: Chusonji31: Seaweed32: Charcoal33: Rain34: Golf35: Shipbuilding36: Japanophiles - Bruce Huebner37: Japanophiles - Noelke Muho38: Japanophiles - Matt Alt39: Karaoke40: Holidays41: Red Sea Bream42: Shopping Streets43: Chickens and Eggs