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Casa Muchi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

  • Okinawa Prefecture

    Casa Muchi

Casa Muchi

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  • Casa Muchi

    These images of local cuisine may not be downloaded.

Image Source : Okinawa Convention and Visitor's Bureau

  • Main lore areas

    All areas within the prefecture

  • Main ingredients used

    Sticky rice flour

  • History/origin/related events

    “Casa muchi” (also called muchi, casa muchi, onimochi) is a steamed rice cake wrapped in a shell ginger leaf. It is offered to the gods to dispel evil spirits on December 8th of the lunar calendar, an annual event in which the health of the family is prayed for. The origin of the name “onimochi” is based on folklore, and is said to be from folk tales which remain in Shurikinjocho. A brother and sister lost their parents at an early age, and when the sister came of age and married, her brother who lived slovenly by himself became a demon who ate not only livestock but children. In an attempt to do something, the sister made his beloved rice cake and put steel inside, and while he ate it she pushed him from a cliff and eradicated him. The fragrant smell of the shell ginger leaf when steaming the rice cake acts as a purifier which wafts through the house. From the demon-dispelling episode, the custom remains to sprinkle the water used to steam the rice cake around the house, tie the shell ginger leaf in a cross shape and hang it on eaves and places where people enter and exit in order to ward off evil. Recently, not only has there been white muchi made simply from sticky rice flour, but also many variations based on region and family, such as ones which use brown sugar, purple yam, or sorghum. Casa muchi is an indispensable winter food in Okinawa, and a true feature of the season. The first muchi after a boy’s birth is celebrated with kamuchi, an especially large muchi made with a Chinese fan palm leaf. Additionally, regardless of gender, the first muchi that a child has is called “hatsu muchi”, and it is customarily given out to relatives and neighbors.

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    It is offered on December 8th of the lunar calendar to dispel evil spirits and eaten with the family. Okinawa at this time gets very cold, which is called muchi bisa. There is also the custom of braiding the number of muchi in a child’s age into a screen and hanging it on a wall or pillar. Previously, muchi-making was also a common event in kindergartens and preschools.

  • How to eat

    Mix the brown sugar in with the sticky rice flour, add the water in moderation and knead well by head until it has a similar hardness to an earlobe. Wrap in a wet cloth, and let rest. Divide the dough into rice ball-sized portions, place each on top of the inside of a shell ginger leaf, wrap it up and tie it with string, and steam for 30min. You can also add turmeric, brown sugar, or purple yam for a colorful finish. You can also make it using a Chinese fan palm leaf instead of shell ginger.

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    (Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)
    Besides typically being made in households, it is also sold in shops and markets around December 8th in the lunar calendar.

RECIPE

Ingredients (makes 10-15 cakes)

  • Sticky rice flour 50g
  • Brown sugar 20g
  • Water 20-30cc
  • Shell ginger or Chinese fan palm leaves 10-30 leaves(depending on the size of the leaves)

How to cook

  • 1. Mix the brown sugar into the sticky rice flour, knead well while adding the water in moderation (until the brown sugar dissolves and it becomes soft), until the hardness is about the same as an earlobe.

  • 2. Divide 1 into equal parts to a size of your liking, place each in a rectangular shape on the inside of a shell ginger leaf, wrap and tie with string.

  • 3. Steam for about 20-30min in a steamer once the steam has begun to rise.

provider : Ryukyu cuisine researcher Junko ASHITOMI

Recipes vary depending on the region and home.

Contact

Food Cultures Office, Overseas Market Development and Food Cultures Division, Food Industry Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Tel:+81-3-3502-5516

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