Seven Herbs and Rice Cakes

Today is Jan 7th - the traditional day to eat the seven herbs of spring. The 5 herbs plus two root vegetables (Japanese daikon radish and Japanese kabu turnip) are chopped in small pieces and added to rice gruel.


Gruel is rice that is cooked in over double the amount of water used for steamed rice. This dish is called 'nanagusa-gayu' -- seven herbs gruel, and is eaten to bring luck for a healthy year.



Before I showed you round rice cakes that my mother in law sent from Kagoshima, and today I got square cakes from Mr. T. Thank you! Some regions in Japan shape the freshly pounded rice into balls which flatten as they dry. Other areas spread the hot pounded rice into containers then cut it into rectangular cakes. My MIL makes mochi rice cakes with a machine, but these square ones were made the traditional way - pounding steamed rice in a huge wooden bowl with a giant wooden mallet. I think the handmade type is more delicious. If you check the picture carefully, you can still see grains. I grilled them and they're ready when they puff up. Mochi can be eaten with many different toppings, etc, but today we dipped them in soy sauce mixed with sugar.









Very healthy lunch, followed by green tea!