🍚 Meshi mochi (Left Over Rice Pan Cake)

Saitama Prefecture as a whole has a dish where leftover rice is mixed with a dough made from dissolved wheat flour and then baked. In the Chichibu region, it's called "Meshimochi," in the eastern lowlands including Kazo, it's known as "Yakibin," and in the northeastern and Iruma regions, it's referred to as "Yakimochi." In the past, when manual labor was used for farming, working hours were long, and there wasn't much time for meal preparation on farms. Therefore, "Meshimochi," which was easy to make and could be taken to the rice fields like a bento (lunchbox) when made in the morning, was highly valued. It was often consumed as a light snack called "Kojyu" just before lunch. Additionally, during the summer, when the rice prepared in the morning might become slightly sour, this dish was a clever way to avoid wasting the rice and still enjoy a tasty meal.