The generic term for a Japanese rice cake is mochi (餅). Mochi is made from rice, so although it is a sweet snack, it isn’t high in cholesterol or saturated fats. In the past, mochi was typically consumed for special occasions. Today, people consume mochi both on special occasions and in everyday life.

Kiri mochi (切り餅) is your basic white mochi. Kiri mochi is made from glutinous rice that has been steamed and pounded with a mortar and pestle. Once the rice mixture becomes soft, some sugar is added and left to harden in a flat mold. When the mold cools down, it is cut into rectangular pieces. Of course, instead of doing all this hard work you can choose to buy it at the store.

Kusa mochi (草餅) is a green colored mochi made from either a plant called hahakogusa (ハハコグサ)  or the leaves of a Japanese mugwort called yomogi (ヨモギ).  In the past this mochi was typically consumed when the yomogi and hahakogusa were in bloom, but nowadays it is consumed year round. Sometimes a red bean filling called anko (餡子) can be found in the kusa mochi.

Kinako mochi (黄粉餅) is mochi is that is rolled in soybean flour. It is typically tan or light brown in color. The soybean flour is made by grinding many soybeans until it becomes a fine powder. Then the powder is mixed with some sugar. In order for the soybean flour to stick to the mochi, the mochi is slightly dipped in hot water and rolled around in the soybean flour.

Hishi mochi (菱餅) is very popular on Hinamatsuri, which is a kind of girl’s day festival. The hishi mochi is usually cut in a rhomboid shape and has three different layers of colors. The three colors are pink, white and green. The pink part of the hishi mochi is symbolic of fertility, the white part represents purity and the green part represents the springtime.

In addition to the hishi mochi, some people also eat the Sakura mochi  (桜餅) on Hinamatsuri. The sakura mochi is pink in color and is often covered with the leaf of a sakura (桜) or cherry blossom. I hate to break it to some people, but the pinkness comes from the food coloring. The actual sakura leaf is green and it’s not actually used in the making of the mochi. The leaf is more of a decorative piece.