The New Year was actually quiet, Satoshi had to go on a business trip, so it was just me. It was nice though, I didn't make the traditional dishes and stretched one recipe of bulgogi for dinners.One thing I bought on New Year's Eve was mochi. They had a little kiosk selling all sorts of different mochi at the supermarket. The mochi was made by a Japanese confectionary called Senjyuan from Tokushima in Shikoku.
The black one was called kanoko and was koshian (smooth bean paste) covered with whole sweet adzuki beans. I've had one called kanoko where the smooth bean paste was covered in bits of kuri(chestnut).
The other one I got was a sanshoku dango (tri-colored skewered rice cakes) except these were filled with different types of an (sweet bean paste). The green one was filled with tsubushian (chunky sweet bean paste), the white one was filled with koshian (smooth bean paste) and the pink one was filled with uguisu mame (sweetened green peas). The mochi was so soft and easy to eat.Did you know that every year in Japan there are deaths relating to elderly people choking on mochi? Well, the start of this new year was unfortunately no exception.
I hope the New Year will be a good one for all of you and if you are eating mochi, please chew it well.
I love your mixing of Hawaiian and Japanese culture... they are two things I feel very comfortable with (plus food!)... keep it up!
ReplyDeletePS: I found your blog by searching flickr for 'spam musubi' and found a picture where you linked back here.
Thanks El! I hope to see you around here more often.
ReplyDeleteTake care.
Kat
i've often wondered about the choking on mochi stats. it always reminds me of that scene in tampopo where someone chokes on mochi in a restaurant and our heros help him by vacuuming it out! :D happy new year, kat!
ReplyDeleteHi Kat! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThe only "mochi" I have had is ice cream bites covered in some kind of bean paste. Do they even have ice cream mochi in Japan - or is another american bastardation? :)
I must see that movie, Bourgogne! Will put it as a top priority this year :)
ReplyDeleteWe have ice cream covered in soft mochi, Jenndz, though I'm not too sure who thought of this.
Take care you two!
Kat
H would not eat those sticky balls in soup that the Chinese make (something like a mochi in soup!) because he doesn't know how to chew and swallow the thing... I've always thought that weird.
ReplyDeleteIt is a bit odd, Monique, oh well, keep him away from the stuff :)
ReplyDeleteTake care.
kat
choking by mochi... this is what i call a "delicious n sticky" suffering...i agree with you chew them well or in case of emergency a strong tap on the back will do the thing.. whew its like eating fugu :-)
ReplyDeletehappy happy new year to you kat!!
That is so bizarre about the choking on mochi! Never would've have thought although it does make some sense. Still, I would have loved to have mochi on New Year's Eve...yummy!
ReplyDeleteOoo, they're all so beautiful! By looks alone, I think I'd like the kanoko the best...ahhh mochi!!! How lucky you are to live in Japan. Happy new years! =)
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathy! I'm jealous you had your parents and sister with you on New Years :)
ReplyDeleteBizarre is right, Rowena. Next time you go home, buy some mochiko and you can try making some.
Fugu is kind of scary, isn't it, Dhanggit? I've tried it once and once was enough.
Take care everyone!
Kat
Hey there Kat!
ReplyDeleteThank you for coming to visit KyotoFoodie over the busy New Year's season! (But I see that you were alone..)
That kanoko dealie looks pretty funky! Kind of extraterrestrial! I can't recall seeing kashi completely covered in whole azuki beans before.
I bet it is sweet!!
Thanks Peko peko, the kanoko was sweet but wasn't sickly sweet. This Japanese confectioner apparently goes to different supermarkets, so maybe you can find them in Kyoto.
ReplyDeleteTake care.
Kat
Happy New Year, Kat! That mochi sounds dangerous:)
ReplyDeleteThanks Pille, Happy New Year to you too. I guess any food can be dangerous!
ReplyDeleteTake care.
Kat