Learning Space No. 10 [Yoyun]

Grass mochi

I was once again in charge of the Utsushiki Learning Space with this theme in mind.

While exploring the possibilities of plants and sweets,

Mochi sweets, local buns and dumplings directly convey the wonder of plants.

Rice and beans

In other words, the seeds of a plant.

Cook the rice

Sometimes the bean paste is mixed with the filling and wrapped in nearby leaves.

Although it is very simple, there are countless variations from region to region and from household to household.

The main reason was that there was simply not much food to eat.

These are things that have been accumulated over generations, thanks to the wisdom and imagination that has come from scarcity.

Lack of things is the beginning of fun

(When I think about it, my sweets business started because there were no delicious and reliable sweet shops nearby.

I suddenly remembered that it all started from a situation where we didn't have enough supplies and we had to make it ourselves!

They make subtle changes to the way they grind the rice and the manufacturing process to create differences that are truly impressive.

The flavors, shapes, and methods of making them have been passed down from region to region over time, with each shape suited to the characteristics of the flour.

Among them, mochi is especially

Offerings to the gods, ceremonial food, meals, preserved foods, snacks, sweets

They are made and used for different purposes. Are there any other foods like this?

The more you know

The appeal of mochi, dango, and manju, and the relationship with plants that surround them, are surprising and endlessly fascinating.

Another great thing about it is that anyone can make it at home.

Thank you for sharing your experience of this learning opportunity.

It all started with collecting plants from the venue, something I had wanted to do for a long time.

While explaining the relationship between seasonal leaves and grasses and sweets,

We decided to hold a sweets-making event that is not bound by genre or numbers.

What kind of sweets can you make using the plants on the Fuyu Utsushiki grounds?

The first thing that caught my eye was the camellia.

The first thing we did at the adult gathering was to make Tsubakimochi.

Tsubakimochi (camellia rice cakes) on display at Japanese confectionery shops as a seasonal February treat

It is said to be the oldest rice cake in Japan, created during the Heian period, and the origin of Japanese sweets.

Upon investigation, I found that Tsubakimochi was not something that anyone could eat in the days before sugar was available.

The sweets were quite different from those of today.

I tried making two types of Tsubakimochi, one that was as close to the original recipe as possible, and the other a more modern version that had evolved, and comparing the taste.

It also touches on the surprising situations in which rice was eaten, the reasons for its evolution, and the different types of rice flour and their respective characteristics.

We talked about how we enjoyed cooking with limited ingredients in creative ways.

One more thing,

What caught my eye on the premises were the gardenia fruits.

I have visited the mirror many times,

When I was scouting the place, I noticed for the first time that there was a beautiful gardenia tree growing in front of the main entrance, and I let out a cry of joy.

When I think of camellias and gardenias, I think of them as Igamochi and Igamanju.

Manju are made in various regions, including Aichi, Shiga, and Hiroshima.

The bean-jam filled buns are decorated with glutinous rice colored with gardenia fruits and mugwort, then placed on a camellia leaf and steamed.

When the beautifully colored glutinous rice is decorated on the buns, making them look gorgeous, everyone cheers with excitement.

The finished sweets were placed on haran leaves harvested on the premises,

If there was anything we couldn't eat, we wrapped it in a bamboo wrapper and tied it with a thin grass plant as string so that we could take it home.

A good way to break the ice is to start by collecting plants together.

The sweets are paired with camellia leaf tea.

It was a light pink tea with a gentle flavor.

It's full of plants.

Also, I found a few mugwort plants growing on the premises.

The children's group decided to make picked grass mochi using mugwort.

The first plant you want to get along with is mugwort.

I want you to be able to identify mugwort, which is now in season.

See it for yourself

Remember the scent

Actually go and find the grass and pick it.

Remove the bitterness

Cut into small pieces with a knife

Make a paste using a pestle

Mix steamed rice with mugwort

I experienced the whole process.

Change your plans at the last minute to make it more enjoyable.

We decided to make a mini mochi pounding machine using a bowl and a rolling pin, which are found in every household.

The girls' team quietly and efficiently mixed the mochi and mugwort together using little pressure, almost as if rubbing them.

The boys' team was so strong that it seemed like the pestles, balls, and tables were going to shatter.

He used his entire body, leaning back and exerting all his strength, to pound the rice cakes, scattering mugwort on the floor as he went.

Even though he was there for a long time, he still had too much energy.

Even though he no longer had a wooden pestle in his hand, he stomped his feet on the floor, releasing his energy.

Before long, everyone started running around the table, and it seemed like they were going to run out of the room.

Kids are so funny!!

The hidden message of the children's group is to spare no effort in its creation.

Using our wisdom, we make tools and machines.

I took just a few minutes to experience the history of how we can now make a lot of things with little time and effort.

I hope this will be a part of your life experience.

There is an entrance to love everywhere, no matter where you dig

It meant that I could get closer to the unchanging, important things in this world.

We would also like to thank the adults who came to observe the children's gathering.

(In the end, they all cooperated.)

As I always say, there are surprisingly few cases where something has to be done.

Even without a mortar and pestle, or an electric mochi-pounding machine, people could still eat freshly pounded mochi as an extension of their play.

"I think from the idea"

I hope that this will be a time for people to once again remember this feeling.

I was very happy to hear such words when we listened to people's impressions of the event.

A world where everything we need is given to us infinitely

I would like to continue to convey the relationship between us and these wonderful plants through my sweets that transcend genres.

What a winter plant can do

It was also a memorable learning experience for me.

Thank you to everyone who participated.

Thank you very much.