# Bekomochi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Bekomochi

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Shimokita Region

## Main Ingredients Used
Glutinous rice flour, non-glutinous rice flour, sugar, instant coffee, tea, food coloring

## History, Origin, and Related Events
"Bekomochi" has been passed down from generation to generation as a special sweet eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival, and is now eaten as a snack. "Bekomochi" originates from a sweet called "kujiramochi", which is made by steaming non-glutinous rice flour and glutinous rice flour with water and sugar, and was originally introduced by "kitamaebune ships" during the Edo period. In Hokkaido and Aomori Prefecture, people ate "kujiramochi" instead of "kashiwamochi" during the Dragon Boat Festival. In the Shimokita region, where rice cultivation was not developed, rice was a precious commodity, and rice cakes were only eaten on special occasions. During the 1960s, "kujiramochi" with flower patterns was created mainly in Ohmamachi, and were eventually reborn in the form of "bekomochi" with beautiful colors and patterns. There are various theories as to the origin of the name, such as "the process of making it brings it together like the back of a cow" or "the combination of brown sugar and white sugar resembles the speckled pattern of a cow". Recently, the number of colors has increased, and the patterns have evolved into more complex ones, such as those of animals and cartoon characters.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
On June 5, the month-long Dragon Boat Festival, "Beko Mochi" wrapped in bamboo grass is offered to the altar and then served to children.The original "kujiramochi" was believed to be made with a wish for the children who ate it to grow big and strong like a whale. In the past, the patterns were simple, such as “tabane patterns” resembling bundles of grass, or spiral patterns, but nowadays, more artistic patterns such as flowers and animals are created using natural food colors.

## How to Eat
The dough is made by kneading glutinous and non-glutinous rice flour with sugar, dividing the dough into small portions, coloring each portion, shaping them into bars or boards, combining them, shaping them into a shape similar to fish cakes, and steaming them. The dough is then shaped like fish paste and steamed. Like Kintaro candy, a beautiful pattern appears on the cross section of bekomochi no matter where it is cut. It is generally sliced and steamed before being eaten, but it is also delicious grilled.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(An outline of the stories, about the preservation society, social media use, and modern ideas like commercialization etc.)A group of people who carry on the tradition of local food is active in this area, and they are uploading videos on how to make this dish on the Mutsu City website. Young people who are fascinated by the beauty of the sliced cross-sections of "bekomochi" are also actively promoting it independently through social networking services and other means. A modern twist on the traditional "bekomochi," named "dekomochi," which is a play on the word "bekomochi," is also gaining popularity, breaking new ground in the field of snacks that have evolved from simple treats.

## Ingredients
- Glutinous rice flour: 750g
- Non-glutinous rice flour: 750g
- Sugar: 500g
- Salt: 1／2 tbsp
- Hot water: 1.5 cups
- Warm water: 1-1.5 cups
- Tea (instant coffee): As necessary

## Recipe
1. 1. Mix glutinous rice flour, non-glutinous rice flour, white sugar, and salt, and moisten the mixture by pouring boiling water over it.
2. 2. Add lukewarm water little by little to the mixture in 1, and knead the dough until it is the consistency of an earlobe, keeping the flour together. Color 1／3 of the kneaded mochi with instant coffee, divide into 5 equal portions, and roll into balls.
3. 3. Divide the remaining white dough from 2 into 6 equal parts. Wrap a ball of brown dough from 2 in 5 of the portions of white dough, roll it up, and press it from the top and bottom to flatten it slightly. Make 5 equal pieces, stack them in 5 layers, and press the center from the top.
4. 4. Wrap one ball from 2 in a piece of the dough from 3, roll it up, and press it from the top and bottom to flatten it slightly. Make 5 equal pieces, stack them in 5 layers, and press the center from the top.
5. 5. Make 2 cuts in the center of 4 and seal the cuts by pinching the dough.
6. 6. Make two fish cake-shaped bases with the remaining dough from 3, and arrange the dough from 5 in the center of one of the bases. Place the long, thin dough from 5 with the cut side facing up.Finally, cover with the remaining fish cake-shaped base to form a "tabane" pattern.
7. 7. Stretch out the dough from 6 to roughly 30 cm while shaping it in the form of a fish cake.
8. 8. Cut the dough from 7 into 1 cm pieces and steam in a steamer for about 10-15 minutes.Freshly steamed bekomochi are soft and sweet, and can be eaten as is.When the bekomochi has cooled and hardened, it is best to bake it in a toaster oven to make it savory and delicious. You can also warm them up in a microwave oven or steam them again.If placed in the freezer while still hot after steaming, they will become soft when defrosted and can be eaten as is.

## Provider Information
provider : “Food Culture Tradition Guidebook” (Aomori Prefecture)

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