Internet Version [Naruhodo no Mori] Vol.55

by Yumiko Mori

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Vol.55   January 15th, 2001

Mochitsuki (Rice cake making)

New Century: My Thought

Home science experiments for mothers of elementary school children

Mom: "Shall we make rice cake?"
Tae: "What? How can we pound rice cake at home?"
Mom: "We can pound rice cake with a mortar and a pestle."
Tae: "That sounds interesting! I will help you."

First, we microwave glutinous rice. Then we start pounding the heated rice.
Satoshi: "Can I do first?"
Mom: "First, you have to knead rice."
Tae: "Satoshi, I can hold this mortar while you pound rice."
Satoshi keeps pounding with a wooden pestle. It is easy to pound at the beginning, but later the rice gets very sticky.
Satoshi: "I am getting tired. This is very heavy now."
Tae: "You can't pound any more? Let me do it."
Satoshi: "Tae, you are strong!"

If you no longer see grain shapes in the rice cake, it is probably ready.
It's time to eat!
We put two toppings, anko (Japanese bean jam) and kinako (soy bean flour), on rice cakes.
Mom: "Do you know we can not make rice cake from normal rice because it doesn't get sticky enough.
Glutinous rice is 100% amylopectin. That's why it is so sticky. On the other hand, normal rice contains amylose."
Tae: "This rice cake is very good. It was worth the effort. I am very satisfied."

Materials (for 4 servings)

How to do mochitsuki

1. Wash 1 cup of glutinous rice and soak it for one hour.

2. Drain water by sieving the rice and place the rice in a deep dish.
   Add 1 cup of water to the rice and heat it in the microwave oven for 15-20 minutes.
   Stir the rice with a spoon twice during the heating.

   

3. Put cooked rice in an earthenware mortar. (You may taste cooked rice.)
   Mash the rice with a wooden pestle and then start pounding.
   During pounding, occasionally wet the pestle with hot water. Using a wooden spoon, reshape the pounded rice cake.
   If rice cake is too hard, add a small amount of hot water.
   If rice grain shapes become invisible and rice cake becomes very sticky, it is ready.

   

4. Eat rice cakes with anko or kinako (mix kinako with the equal amount of sugar).

   
   * It's too tiring to do mochitsuki by yourself. It's the best to do mochitsuki when your friends can help you.

"Mochitsuki" may not be regarded as a science experiment. But I believe not many children have experienced mochitsuki. Occasionally mochitsuki events are held in Japanese preschools, but most parents don't know how to do mochitsuki. I had imagined mochitsuki needs a lot of preparation and work. I am glad to find this easy way to pound rice cake. Using this method, we can do mochitsuki more frequently. I hope you will try this easy mochitsuki.

New Century: My Thought

Recently an antenna tower for mobile phones was built within the elementary school yard. Some of the parents who were notified afterwards wanted to remove the antenna from the school. I asked other people and went to a nearby library to check what exactly electromagnetic waves are. I am always interested in science experiments, but embarrassingly I didn't know much about electromagnetic waves. One of my friends, who seems to know what human being really needs, has quickly declared "We don't need this antenna." I was less efficient in deciding whether I should be against the antenna and felt envious of the friend. While I am pondering about such problems, I worry more urbanization will continue in my town.