Mochi (年糕) is a traditional food popular in Chinese and Japanese cooking, made from(special) treated rice. It is often presented in the form of a round cake, and is traditionally exchanged at the New Year.
Mochi is made by(put) sticky rice into water overnight, cooking it and pounding it into a sticky paste. The paste is made into shapes ranging from simple to complex rounds, some ofare stuffed with sweet fillings. Mochi is often decorated with(flower) or fruits, especially when it is exchanged asgift at celebrations like birthdays and the New Year.
Traditionally, wooden mortars (臼) and pestles (杵)(use) to pound mochi rice. Fresh mochi is usually cooked and served warma variety of sauces. Steaming and boiling are both popular preparations in Japan, along with cooking. Fresh mochi is soft but it(hard) quickly. Prepacked mochi blocks, flattened and cut into square pieces or shaped into rounds, are available at grocery stores. Mochi can go bad easily, so it's(good) to cook soon than to keep it in your fridge.
Hard mochi pieces can be cooked, deep-fried, boiled, and more. Cooked mochi is very sticky, so be careful not(choke) on it.
