A visit to Japan isn't complete without enjoying some of its culinary delicacies. The appeal is both flavor-driven and in the preparation of each item. Among the most fascinating preparations is mochi. This sweet treat is a long-standing tradition in Japanese cuisine, delighting many with its wide array of flavors and soft, chewy texture. And no one makes mochi like Mitsuo Nakatani, Japan's famed mochi master.
The magic takes place at Nakatanidou, the store Nakatani has commanded for over 30 years. Located in Nara, in the Kansai region near Kyoto, the establishment welcomes those wanting to try these rice cakes and take in the mesmerizing mochitsuki, AKA the mochi-making ceremony. During mochitsuki, cooks pound the glutinous sticky rice with a kine or mallet, turning it into a soft paste that's then split and becomes mochi.
Nakatani carries out this process so efficiently that he is widely considered the fastest mochi master in all of Japan. A visit to Nakatanidou showcases Nakatani's lightning-fast work on the dough from the store windows. As an assistant hits the mix of mochigome (glutinous rice grain) with striking precision, Nakatani mixes the paste by hand on the same wooden mortar. The pair has developed a careful choreography that has prevented the cook from being hit as he works.
“There are many styles of mochi pounding, but the most traditional one is one person pounds and the other mixes by hand,” Nakatani told Great Big Story. The cook also shared that he usually pounds sticky rice very fast for about two minutes, and that he has an average of three strikes per second. “There is no formal training on mochi pounding. It's something you acquire from experience over time. The key to be good at mixing is all about timing and trust in the guy that is pounding. We use our shouting as a way to coordinate with each other and create a rhythm. To me, making mochi is like a battle. Anyone can pound mochi as long as you have a will.”
If you're ever in Nara, you can catch Nakatani bringing these sweets to life three times a day between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. at Nakatanidou. Each mochi is about 200 Yen (about $1.39 USD), and travel experts consider it a great snack to power your long walks as you explore the city. Nakatanidou is located on 29 Hashimotocho, in the vibrant Higashimuki Shopping Street.
Mitsuo Nakatani is widely considered the fastest mochi master in all of Japan.
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The magic takes place at Nakatanidou, the store Nakatani has run for over 30 years.
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The establishment welcomes those wanting to try these rice cakes and take in the mochitsuki—the mochi-making ceremony in which cooks pound the glutinous sticky rice with a mallet at lightning speed.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
You can watch Nakatani at work and describe his process in the video below.
Sources: Pounding Mochi With the Fastest Mochi Maker in Japan; Only in Japan TV on Instagram; Nakatanidou Mochi Shop; A journey to the origins of Japanese ‘mochi’ and its ancient ritual
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