Sushi term
Mochi 餅
Mochi is chewy pounded-rice cake — glutinous rice hammered into a soft, stretchy dough that can be sweet or savory. It's the base of countless Japanese sweets and a food wrapped in ritual and season.
Made by pounding
Traditional mochi is made by steaming glutinous rice and pounding it with heavy wooden mallets (mochitsuki) until smooth and elastic — a communal New Year's activity in Japan.
Sweet and beyond
Daifuku wraps mochi around sweet fillings like red bean; mochi ice cream (a Western-born hit) wraps it around ice cream; and savory mochi appears grilled or in soups like ozoni.
Insider tip. Eat mochi in small bites and chew well — its dense chew is part of the pleasure, and it's meant to be taken slowly.
Where to try Mochi near you
Top-rated sushi spots on Yes Ichiban with real, orderable online menus:
Bayridge Sushi
Kissimmee, FL · ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.8
VOLCANO STEAK AND SUSHIDULUTH, GA · ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.7
Royal SushiChicago, IL · ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.7
Bayridge SushiLongwood, FL · ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.7
Volcano Steak & SushiWEST BERLIN, NJ · ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.7
Mikata Japanese Grill & SushiKnoxville, TN · ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.6