🍚 Hoshi-mochi (Dried rice cake)

"Hoshi-mochi" is a rice snack made by cutting and weaving rice cakes into a hanging braid, which contains a large amount of water and is then left out in the cold. "Hoshi-mochi" is a traditional preserved food that has been made in Akita Prefecture as well as Aomori and Nagano prefectures, and other cold-weather farming villages for centuries. It is a typical rice snack especially in Akita, a rice-producing region, and is also known as "frozen rice cake" because it is made using the cold winter weather. If the timing of "Kanjime" (freezing and drying) during the cold season is not right, the rice cakes will crack and fail, so it can be said that these sweets are unique to farmers who work daily with the weather. Because they are filling and high in energy, they have been eaten not only as a snack for children, but also during breaks in rice planting. The sweetness of the vegetables and sugar brings out the umami of the rice, and the crispy texture and simple flavor are the characteristics. The dried rice cakes from the Kita-Akita region are especially crispy and soft because they are made with a lot of water.