Hanabiramochi
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is a Japanese sweet (''
wagashi is traditional Japanese confectionery, typically made using plant-based ingredients and with an emphasis on seasonality. ''Wagashi'' generally makes use of cooking methods that pre-date Western influence in Japan. It is often served with green ...
''), usually eaten at the beginning of the year. Hanabiramochi are also served at the first
tea ceremony Tea ceremony is a ritualized practice of making and serving tea (茶 ''cha'') in East Asia practiced in the Sinosphere. The original term from China (), literally translated as either "''way of tea''", "''etiquette for tea or tea rite''",Heiss, M ...
of the new year.


Origin

The name "hanabiramochi" literally means "flower petal
mochi A mochi ( ; Japanese ) is a Japanese rice cake made of , a short-grain Japonica rice, japonica glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch. The steamed rice is pounded into paste and molded into the ...
". The original form of Hanabiramochi is ''Hishihanabira'', a dessert that was eaten by the
Imperial family A royal family is the immediate family of monarch, monarchs and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or emperor, empress, and the term papal family describes the family of ...
at special events coinciding with the beginning of the year. ''Hanabiramochi'' was first made in the
Meiji Era The was an Japanese era name, era of History of Japan, Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feu ...
, and is now a familiar New Year ''
wagashi is traditional Japanese confectionery, typically made using plant-based ingredients and with an emphasis on seasonality. ''Wagashi'' generally makes use of cooking methods that pre-date Western influence in Japan. It is often served with green ...
''.


Form

The exact shape of ''hanabiramochi'' is strictly defined by tradition. The white ''mochi'' covering is flat and round, folded over to form a semicircular shape, and must have a pink color showing through in the center of the confection, fading to a white at the edge. Unlike a '' daifuku'', the ''mochi'' must not completely seal the insides. In the center of a ''hanabiramochi'' is a layer of '' anko'', a sweet bean paste, commonly the white kind made from sweetened
mung beans The mung bean or green gram (''Vigna radiata'') is a plant species in the legume family.Brief Introduction of Mung Bean. Vigna Radiata Extract Green Mung Bean Extract Powder Phaseolus aureus Roxb Vigna radiata L R Wilczek. MDidea-Extracts P ...
. In the very center is a thin strip of sweetly flavoured ''gobo'' (
burdock ''Arctium'' is a genus of biennial plants commonly known as burdock, family Asteraceae. Native to Europe and Asia, several species have been widely introduced worldwide. Burdock's clinging properties, in addition to providing an excellent mecha ...
), which protrudes from the ''mochi'' on both sides.


Significance and symbolism

Each element of the ''hanabiramochi'' is significant: The red colour showing through the white ''
mochi A mochi ( ; Japanese ) is a Japanese rice cake made of , a short-grain Japonica rice, japonica glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch. The steamed rice is pounded into paste and molded into the ...
'' is not only appropriate to the celebration of the new year, but also evokes the Japanese apricot/plum (''
ume ''Prunus mume'', the Chinese plum or Japanese apricot, is a tree species in the family Rosaceae. Along with bamboo, the plant is intimately associated with art, literature, and everyday life in China, from where it was then introduced to Kor ...
'') blossom, which in turn represents the purity, perseverance, and renewal associated with the New Year. The ''gobo'' represents pressed ''
ayu Ayu or AYU may refer to: * Ayu (given name) * Ayu sweetfish (''Plecoglossus altivelis''), a species of smelt * ''Ayu'', a local name for the African manatee * Ayu (singer) or Ayumi Hamasaki, Japanese singer * Ayu Islands, a small archipelago in ...
'', a fish exclusive to East Asia, and a prayer for a long life.


See also

*
Sakuramochi is a Wagashi, Japanese confection (''wagashi'') consisting of sweet, pink-colored rice cake (''mochi'') with red bean paste (''anko'') filling, wrapped in a pickled cherry blossom (''sakura'') leaf, which may or may not be eaten depending on ind ...
*
Hwajeon ''Hwajeon'', kkotbukkumi, kkotjijimi, () or flower cake is a small Korean pan-fried rice cake. It is made out of glutinous rice flour, honey and edible petals from seasonal flowers, such as rhododendron. It is eaten during the festivals of S ...
*
Japanese New Year The is an annual festival that takes place in Japan. Since 1873, the official Japanese New Year has been celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, on January 1 of each year, . Prior to 1872, traditional events of the Japanese New Year wer ...


References

{{Reflist Japanese cuisine Wagashi Chadō Japanese New Year foods