The cakes, known as mochi, are cute round buns made of soft and chewy rice. The rice is first steamed and then pounded and mashed. Mochi-pounding at a shrine in Tokyo The resulting sticky rice ...

Mochi is a popular food in Japan, especially during the New Year's holiday. Tokyo Fire Department officials advise cutting mochi into small pieces and chewing thoroughly before swallowing.

Despite an annual warning from authorities, a deadly New Year's trend continued in Japan this week as two people died after choking on mochi — a doughy cake made from steamed sweet rice that is ...

Everyone knows me for my butter mochi. It’s been my go-to potluck dish for over a decade, ever since I learned how to make it from a college friend who was born and raised in Hawai’i.