Gohei-mochi Aichi prefecture | Our Regional Cuisines

History/origin/related events

“Gohei-mochi” is a local cuisine originating in the mountains of the Chubu region, including Okumikawa in Aichi Prefecture, Kiso and Ina in Nagano Prefecture, and Hida in Gifu Prefecture, and may date back to the middle of the Edo period (about 1700 - 1750). It is said that lumberjacks, hunters and other mountain workers used to make and eat “Gohei-mochi” on the eve of a "Yama no kou (mountain festival)" to pray for their safety while working in the mountains. There are many theories as to the origin of the name "Gohei"; some say it was created in the shape of a "gohei” (ritual wand with pleated paper), an offering to the gods; others say it originated as a portable food for mountain workers; and still others say it originated from a man named "Gohei" who would spread miso on his rice balls and roast them over a fire when he ate his lunch.