| | A total of 38 participants including MHJCA members and non-members attended the event held for the first time, "Freshly Pounded Mochi Rice Cake Tasting and Sale”.
In order to satisfy everyone's stomach with freshly pounded mochi rice cake, 3 mochi rice cake pounding machines owned by the MHJCA members were set. Each machine with 8 cups of short grain glutinous rice at a time was steamed and pounded. 2 out of 3 machines were in full force for total of 5 times during the 2 hour event.
Three board members each cooked 24 cups of short grain glutinous rice in their own kitchen at home prior to the event to make kirimochi (cut up mochi rice cakes) for sale. Steamed glutinous rice was stretched into square pan then waited to harden. Each mochi rice cake sheet was hand-cut into 36 pieces for total of 9 sheets. Natto (fermented soybeans) was also home-produced by cooking 1 kilogram of organic soybeans followed by fermentation.
Mochi rice cake toppings served by the Chair’s guests were; grated radish, home-produced natto, regular and sugar soy sauce, sweetened soybean flour, sweet red beans, and nori. All were very memorable and familiar taste to Japanese tongue. Guests selected whatever toppings they wish for their liking.
Yuriko Tanaka-Jones | | 初めてのイベント、「つきたてのお餅を食べる会」への出席者は合計38名もの会員の方や非会員の方々に参加頂きました。
つきたてのお餅を皆さんに召し上がって頂くためには、3台の会員所有の餅つき機が用意され、2時間のイベント中5回、1回につき８合づつの餅米が蒸され、お餅を作りました。
販売用の餅パックは３名の役員が各家庭のキッチンで２４合もの餅米を蒸し、餅を作り伸し固め、一つ一つ手作業で切り餅にされたのです。又、納豆も１キロの有機大豆を煮て手作りされました。
ニュージャージーからの会長のゲストによってサーブされたつきたて餅のトッピングは大根おろし、手作り納豆、砂糖しょうゆ、きな粉、アンコ、海苔と日本人には馴染み深いトッピングが用意され、各人お好みのトッピングを選んで召し上がって頂きました。
田中ジョーンズ 由利子 | |
