Yesterday I went to see 餅つき. This was my first time to see how to make mochi. It was very fun and interesting to watch.
First, they washed a special kind of glutinous rice(もち米). The rice is very sticky.
Next they steamed the rice in a special wooden box.
Then they put the rice in a special mixing machine. This machine smashes( 砕く)the rice and it starts to stick together(くっつく) in a large ball.
After the rice becomes a sticky ball, you put it in a large stone bowl. Then comes the fun part! You use large wood mallets to finish smashing the rice until it becomes smooth(滑らかな).
During the last step you roll the fresh mochi into small, flat balls. Then you fill them with sweet bean paste or just plain mochi. Then you can enjoy eating it for the New Year!
