mochi

is powdered baby skin wrapped around smashed red beans.

is a ritual food par excellence where the sound of the pounding mortar is reputed to at once scare away demons and also call in droves of excited neighbors.

Mochi is a ritual food par excellence. The sound of the pounding mortar is reputed to scare away demons, and whether it does so or not, the evocative sound is enough to bring out droves of people expecting a treat. Traditional pounding requires two people. The warm cooked rice is placed in a mortar carved from a tree trunk. Holding a heavy wooden mallet, a man (usually) pounds the mixture in a steady rhythm. A woman (usually) moves the mass about in time to the pounding, to provide an even kneading. Sometimes they get their timing wrong. In such a case, the pounder is required in many places to strap the mortar to his back and climb with his burden over the roof of the nearest house. The ambiance of the mochimaking is one of jocular gaiety and lightheartedness, and in the process, many jokes (some suggestive) produce hilarity and good-natured teasing as people wait for their share and their turn at the mallet or mortar.

mochi, n.Definitions

mochi