Two people in Japan have died and seven others had to be taken to hospitals after choking on mochi, a sweet rice cake that can prove difficult to swallow if not thoroughly chewed.
In just the first three days of the new year, nine people between the ages of 73 and 84 were taken to hospitals in the metro Tokyo area after they choked on mochi, Japan Today and Nippon TV reported, citing the Tokyo Fire Department. Of those, two died, according to the outlets, per Tokyo Fire.
The fire department told the Japanese outlets that one of those who died was a man in his 70s who choked on mochi while at his home in Itabashi City just after 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 1. The second was a man in his 80s who lived in Nerima City, Japan Today reported, per Tokyo Fire.
According to a survey conducted by Tokyo Fire, 368 people were rushed to the hospital after choking on mochi between 2019 and 2023, with about 90% of them people over 65 years old, Nippon TV reported. Over the past five years, the month with the most emergency transports was January, with 142 people, followed by December with 43 people, the outlet said, per the survey.
Tokyo Fire officials advised people to cut mochi into small and easy-to-eat pieces, chew it slowly before swallowing and moisten their throats with tea or soup before consuming to aid digestion, Nippon TV and Japan Today said.
What is Mochi?
Mochi is a “squishy, elastic and creamy” rice treat that is typically enjoyed around the new year, according to Bon Appétit Magazine.
The Japanese staple is made from pounded and molded rice dough, and it comes in a variety of colors and flavors − including matcha, chocolate, mango and strawberry, Bon Appétit says, adding that the dish has a “slightly sticky, delightfully chewy quality about them.” Emily Anderson, a curator at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, California, told “CBS Sunday Morning” last month that eating mochi is a huge tradition on New Year’s Day, which is the “most important holiday in Japan.”
“Eating mochi is a really important part of the most important family-oriented day,” she said.
Is mochi popular in the US?
Mochi came to the U.S. when Japanese laborers arrived in the country in the 1800s and brought their foods and traditions with them, according to “CBS Sunday Morning.”
“For a lot of Japanese Americans, the actual making of mochi is a way of reclaiming pride and appreciation for who they are,” Anderson said.
During World War II, when more than 120,000 people of Japanese descent were forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated in camps, there was still mochi for the new year, “CBS Sunday Morning” reported.
Anderson said during a “time when they’ve lost everything” and when they “feel abandoned by their own country,” the Japanese people trapped in these camps fought back and said: “I know we can’t get much from you, but this much we’re going to demand of you, bring us our mochi rice. We need this for our new year.” While many people in the U.S. − Japanese American and otherwise − enjoy the sweet treat, mochi still has a ways to go before becoming a mainstay dish in the States. According to market research firm Datassential, in 2022, mochi was found on less than 2% of U.S. restaurant menus, and about 29% of American consumers have tried it, Nation’s Restaurant News reported.
It has gained more popularity in recent years, with some versions selling mochi in Asian supermarkets and even Whole Foods, among others.