Mochi pounding is a special thing and normally a festival type of event during the month of January. Mochi is considered to be representative of healthy and prosperity for the new year...as many things seem to be.
How you make rice into mochi is by pounding cooked rice vigorously until a sort of dough is made. Occasionally sugar is added to sweeten the mochi and water is used to help make it doughy and less sticky. You can't pound it so well when it sticks to the hammer. Once it is very doughy you take it and put it on a flour bed and pull pieces off to roll into balls.
How you make rice into mochi is by pounding cooked rice vigorously until a sort of dough is made. Occasionally sugar is added to sweeten the mochi and water is used to help make it doughy and less sticky. You can't pound it so well when it sticks to the hammer. Once it is very doughy you take it and put it on a flour bed and pull pieces off to roll into balls.
These balls are then dipped and garnished with various assortments of toppings. You can either make it so that it is sweet or a bit salty. The toppings here are soy and radish for the saltier flavorings, and a type of sweet rice powder, sweet potato and ??? sauce for the sweet flavors. (i never caught the name - ok I just couldn't recognize and remember it - of the mysterious sauce).
Here is a video that illustrates the mochi making process!
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