I've been hearing a lot about mochi lately—the Japanese cake—not only here on Journaly but also from people close to me. As far as I know, it's considered a treat in Japanese cuisine and also a "deadly weapon," as our fellow Akiko explains so well in her post. Her story made my jaw drop at the number of people who die every year because of this sweet-but-sometimes-lethal delicacy.
Intrigued, I decided to try some mochi myself. Not because I want to die (which I don't), but because those little cakes, with their bite-me-I-won't-bite-back look, have been piquing my curiosity for a while.
Just for the record, if there's a Japanese person reading this, please forgive my ignorance. Chances are, I'll say something that looks, tastes, or is called something else in its country of origin. However, if my ignorance makes you laugh, I'll be more than happy. As a Spaniard, I totally get it—I laugh every time someone says "Paela" instead of "Paella." It always makes me think of "Paela Anderson."
Anyway, I bought four mochi for 10 euros total—2.50 each, about the same price as a cake here. When I got home, I put them in the fridge. Wow, what are you doing, silly goose? They'll get hard and less chewy! So I immediately took them out and put them at room temperature, which was quite high because the heating was on. Later that afternoon, I couldn't help but peek inside the box to see if there was some kind of mutation or something, but no. They looked really nice.
(To be continued)
This post is fun to read, and I'm glad my post piqued your curiosity! I'm looking forward to reading more 😋
The only dangerous part of what is called mochi outside of Japan is the skin, so I don't assume it's lethal, but be careful!
In winter, my Japanese wife and I sometimes mochi. It is not expensive, but a bit plain-tasting. With soy sauce and "nori" seaweed wrapping, it is half-yummy.
Thank you, @Akiko. Mochi is not the only dangerous treat. In Spain, we have two Christmas traditions that are just as "deadly" as mochi. On New Year's Eve, at midnight, we eat 12 grapes in about 12 seconds—one for each stroke of the clock—which is absolutely crazy. And then we have "polvorón" a typical Christmas treat that is so dry and compact that it easily gets stuck in your throat. There are shocking statistics about people choking on it, too.
Thank you @T-Newfields My mochi was filled with some kind of chocolate sauce. I don't know if that's commom in Japan or if it's some kind of adaptation to Western tastes. It was really delicious, though. I usually have soy sauce and nori seaweed at home, but I'm really bad at making sushi. : ))))
Grapes are my favorite fruit, and polvorón appears to be delicious! I'll try polvorón no matter how danger it is!
That's the spirit, @Akiko ! 😃 When I was little I almost choked on a boiled egg. Just don't put a polvorón in your mouth all at once.