Mochi is one of my favorite Japanese desserts… it is a Japanese rice cake made of glutinous rice pounded into paste and molded into its shape. It was traditionally made in a ceremony called Mochitsuki. The traditional process involves pounding the rice with wooden mallets in an usu (traditional mortar). Two people alternate the work: one pounds the cooked rice while the other wets the mochi. They must keep a steady rhythm or they may accidentally injure each other. Check out this process below. Amazing!