Making Mochi
I had never heard of mochi until the Christmas Day when my Japanese friend invited me to her aunt’s home to see it made. It was traditional for her family to make the mochi on Christmas and freeze it until New Years Day. It was a large extended family. They all helped make the mochi the traditional way.
I wonder how many American Japanese still make it that way. It was a lot of work, but it brought the family together with a project and they had lots of time to talk both while working and while waiting for the next step. I watched, took pictures, and learned.
My friend, who had been fighting cancer for years, was gone by the next Christmas. We remembered her life the day afterwards. I’m so glad I have the memories of that special day with her and her family as they made mochi together.
