落とし穴外伝：年末年始のお餅の食べ方
Dungeon Pit Side Story: How to Eat Mochi During the New Year Holidays
How to Eat Mochi During the New Year Holidays
Mochi (rice cake) is a food made by processing glutinous rice. It is often referred to with the polite prefix "o" as *omochi*.
(Excerpt from Wikipedia)
In Japan, while it is something that can be eaten year-round, it is most commonly associated with the New Year holidays, much like *nabe* (hot pot).
Made from glutinous rice, it has long been known as a lucky charm, frequently consumed during the New Year and other celebratory occasions.
Tracing its history, archaeological findings of earthenware used for steaming dating back to the late Kofun period suggest that it may have been created as a way to process preserved food in line with the cultivation and harvest of rice.
In short, it is a food with a history as deep as it is unchanging—a true classic.
Side: Yuki
Now, you might wonder why I’m bringing this up...
"Today’s topic is how we shall eat our mochi over the New Year," Seraria announced to the wives gathered inside the *kotatsu*.
Currently, everyone is huddled in groups of about four around the *kotatsu* in the banquet hall, listening intently. It’s a familiar sight in winter.
The subject of their discussion, however, is something that makes you want to ask them to repeat themselves.
They are debating how to eat mochi.
They are taking this matter with the utmost seriousness, while I, Taiki, Taizou-san, and Souta-san sit nearby, sipping our tea in a relaxed state.
"Let’s start with how to eat grilled mochi," Seraria began.
It seems she is starting with the simplest method. But this is merely the first step toward a war that can never be narrowed down to a single choice.
Hands shot up from many of the *kotatsu* instantly...
"Kinako (soybean flour)!"
"Anko (sweet red bean paste)!"
"Soy sauce and sugar!"
"Plain grilled!"
"Sugar-grilled!"
"Mitarashi-grilled!"
Standard options were listed in the blink of an eye, and I was surprised to see Quar, sitting next to Seraria, writing them down without hesitation.
Just as I thought that...
"Zunda (sweet edamame paste)!"
"Anko and butter!"
"Miso!"
"Pizza sauce!"
"Chocolate drizzle!"
"Cheese!"
"Peanut butter!"
We all slumped forward, our heads hitting the table with a thud.
"W-what? Some of these I’ve never even heard of..."
"Wait a moment... I checked online, and apparently, these are common these days," Taiki said, showing me his tablet.
Sure enough, there they were.
"Hmm. So, the culinary world is expanding. I did know about *zunda*, though."
"Surprisingly, cheese and peanut butter don't sound half bad, either."
Yeah, I was shocked at first, but they don't seem like such a bad match.
...Though, preferences will surely vary.
"Well, it’s fine that there are so many flavors, but why are we having this discussion? Surely there will be plenty of opportunities to eat them over the holidays," I remarked offhandedly.
Labyris, who was sitting nearby, turned to me.
"You’re naive, Yuki. It’s true that the opportunities to eat mochi increase, but so does our weight. And it’s not like we only eat mochi. Our stomachs are finite. Which means the number of times we can eat it is limited. That’s why we have to carefully select our choices beforehand."
"That’s right, Big Brother! Even if there’s lots of delicious food, we don’t have the stomach space for it all!"
"There’s *ozoni* (soup with mochi), *oshiruko*, *zenzai*, *kushi-dango*, and all the different types of *anko* for the mochi... there are just so many," added another.
"Ah, when you put it that way, there really are a lot of mochi dishes."
If you tried to eat them all, you’d run out of days and stomach capacity.
Still, is it really necessary to be that obsessed with mochi?
While thinking that, I decided to ask about something that piqued my curiosity regarding mochi dishes.
"By the way, for *ozoni*, how many pieces do you all put in?"
"Ah, for *ozoni*, I usually go with two," Taiki replied.
"Hmm. I go for three."
"I’m not a fan of that gooey texture, so I only have one."
Mochi is surprisingly filling; two pieces would be enough to bloat anyone.
Plus, sometimes *ozoni* is finished off by adding rice to make *zosui* (rice porridge), so considering that, there really isn't much room left.
But still...
"If you want to eat that much mochi, why not just spread it out over several days?"
"We’re pounding the mochi ourselves—what would be the point if we didn't eat it during that time?"
"Ah, I see."
As Labyris said, here in Weed, we have a custom of holding a mochi-pounding event during the New Year and eating it fresh.
It’s a fact that freshly pounded mochi is delicious, and there isn't an infinite supply.
Well, I suppose each person gets about five pieces.
And...
"The children are looking forward to it, too, so we have to guide them so they don't get stomachaches."
"Exactly. They’d eat without limit and end up in pain, so we have to set restrictions from the start."
"It’s a sign of their health, though."
"Mm. Everyone eats a lot."
As Shera, Dressa, Viola, and Hiiro said, the children look forward to the mochi-pounding and devour the results happily.
In the past, they ate too much and got stomachaches, leaving Rurua and Lilishe to treat them with wry smiles.
Since then, we’ve limited the amount they can eat, and it would be unfair if only the adults could eat their fill.
In other words, we have to carefully plan the consumption of our finite supply of mochi over the New Year.
Still...
"Do you really eat it every single day?"
"Yes!" the wives replied in unison.
Is mochi really something you eat that often?
"Well, how about this? We put a net over the stove, grill some mochi, and have it as a snack?"
"Ah, I have done that before."
"Eating it in moderation is fine for a snack. But children certainly tend to overdo it."
"That is true. We do have a history of them eating too much..."
There were times when they were too full to eat dinner because of it.
So, is Seraria trying to restrict the flavorings for the grilled mochi so the children won't feel like they're missing out on choices?
The more flavorings there are, the more they’ll want to eat.
That’s when I suddenly remembered something.
"Setting aside the mochi itself, opinions on *anko* are divided, aren't they?"
"You mean the *koshian* (smooth) versus *tsubuan* (chunky) debate, right? I prefer *koshian*. Not that I dislike *tsubuan*."
"Is that so, Taiki? I prefer the smaller-grained paste with the skins left on."
"I don't have a preference either way. Though, for drinking, the smaller grains are nice."
"Ah, I agree. I think *tsubuan* is better for eating, and *koshian* is better for drinking."
It’s basically a matter of whether or not you dislike the texture of solids hitting your throat when you drink it.
Though, the opportunity to drink *oshiruko* as a beverage doesn't come up that often.
Like *ozoni*, it has moved into the realm of a meal.
"Speaking of which, there’s the ratio for *kinako*, right? Like four parts *kinako* to one part sugar, with a pinch of salt."
"Ah, at my house, we used less *kinako*. More like two parts *kinako* to one part sugar, and a little salt."
"Ho ho. So every household adds salt, then?"
"Isn't that the same principle as putting salt on watermelon to make it taste sweeter?"
"Ah..."
"Anyway, why don't we decide on our own blend and try it out?"
"That might be good. There’s nothing wrong with store-bought *kinako*, but changing the ratio can completely transform the flavor."
"I’d like to try sweet *kinako* mochi. I usually associate it with a strong *kinako* flavor."
"Ho ho. It’s rare to hear you say that, Taizou-san. Then, let’s try making some with extra sugar next time."
And so, the discussion on how to eat mochi grew unexpectedly lively.
I pray that no "Mochi War" breaks out over the New Year.
In a way, it’s deeper than the "Kinoko vs. Takenoko" war.
There are so many ways to eat mochi, after all.
And never enough stomach space.