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Kibi-mochi / Awa-mochi / Tochi-mochi (Miscellaneous grains Mochi) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

  • Kyoto Prefecture

    Kibi-mochi / Awa-mochi / Tochi-mochi (Miscellaneous grains Mochi)

Kibi-mochi / Awa-mochi / Tochi-mochi (Miscellaneous grains Mochi)

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  • Main lore areas

    Nantan Area, Chutan Area

  • Main ingredients used

    “Kibi(=common millet)”, “Awa(=foxtail millet)”, “Tochi-no-mi(=Japanese horse chestnuts)

  • History/origin/related events

    Kyoto Prefecture has the Tango Mountains in the north, the Tanba Mountains in the center, and a low mountain range of less than 1000 meters, and most of the area from the Chutan region to the Nantan region is mountainous. From the Tamba Mountains, large and small rivers, including the Katsura River, flow between the mountains, and satoyama (area between pristine nature and urban areas, made up of villages, farmland, and secondary forests etc.) are scattered throughout the prefecture.
    In mountainous areas where there is little flat land, rice and wheat cannot be harvested sufficiently, so mochi (rice cakes), were made from miscellaneous grains, such as "kibi" (common millet), "awa" (foxtail millet), or “tochi-no-mi" (Japanese horse chesnuts).
    In times when rice could not be produced sufficiently, mochi were eaten as a substitute for the staple food. Mochi made with miscellaneous grains are eaten in many parts of Japan, other than Kyoto Prefecture.
    Miscellaneous grains, used to be grown everywhere, but since rice has been bred to be easier to grow, miscellaneous grains have conversely become scarce. In recent years, however, miscellaneous grains have been attracting more and more attention as a healthy food due to their high nutritional value.

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    "Tochi-no-mi" (Japanese horse chestnuts) are harvested from September to October and "Tochi-mochi" are made and eaten during this period. "Kibi-mochi" and “Awa-mochi” are also made toward the end of the year and the custom of eating miscellaneous grain cakes during the year-end and New Year holidays is still passed down through the generations in the region.

  • How to eat

    Soak glutinous rice in water overnight as a preparation. After removing the glutinous rice from the water, mix it with "kibi" or "awa" and steam it in a steamer. The rice is then pounded in a rice-cake pounding machine and formed into round or rectangle shapes. "Tochi-mochi" is made by removing the dirt from “tochi-no-mi” and steaming them together with glutinous rice before pounding and shaping in the same way.
    The finished mochi are either baked or boiled. The repertoire of ways to eat mochi is diverse. Like regular mochi, they can be dipped in soy sauce, wrapped in seaweed, and grilled, or sweetened with “kinako" (soybean flour). In these ways, the unique flavor and rustic taste of mochi can be enjoyed more than when it is made from glutinous rice alone.

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    (Outline of the people who have passed down the tradition, preservation society, utilization of SNS, modern efforts such as commercialization, etc.)
    In Kyoto Prefecture, there are still Wagashi-ya (Japanese traditional confectionery stores), that sell "Kibi-mochi," "Awa-mochi," and "Tochi-mochi," and the most famous stores attract customers from all over the country.
    In addition, miscellaneous grains are once again attracting attention as people become more health conscious in recent years, and as part of town revitalization projects, "Kibi-mochi" and "Awa-mochi" are being made and are readily available at direct sales stands and roadside stations (roadside farmer’s market shops). However, miscellaneous grains, are more difficult to obtain than in the past, and the time and effort required to make them has gradually decreased, so the opportunities to make them at home are gradually decreasing.

RECIPE

Ingredients (20 servings)

  • Glutinous rice 1 sho(1.5 kg)
  • “Kibi-ko (=common millet flour)” or “Awa (=foxtail millet)” 200 g
  • Salt 1 tbsp.

How to cook

  • 1. Drain off the water from the glutinous rice, washed and soaked the day before, mix it with “kibi-Ko” or “awa,” then steam it in a steamer, and pound it with a mochi pounder.

  • 2. Add salt, before pounding.

  • 3. Shape into either round or rectangle shapes.

provider : “Kyo Gochisosama Okasan no Aji” (Kyoto Prefecture Life Research Group Connection Council)

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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