Tochi mochi (conker rice cake) (栃餅)

Tochi mochi is a rice cake made by steaming conkers after removal of harshness with glutinous rice and then pounding them. Tochi mochi has tinges of yellow ocher and brown compared to a rice cake made from only glutinous rice, and has unique bitterness.

Tochi mochi was important foodstuffs once in the mountain village where rice is hardly grown. It has been sold as one of the souvenirs as of the beginning of the 21st century. Tochi mochi is eaten with sugar, by dressing or wrapping it with bean jam, or with salt which is soaked in tea.

Since it requires time and effort and also each district and home has its skills inherited, removal of harshness from conkers is a little difficult for inexperienced persons. Thus, conkers are sold from which harshness is removed in advance.

[Original Japanese]