An Ode to Mochi

Ahhh....mochi.  You wonderful, light, sweet treat that we have come to adore.  At first, we thought you an odd dessert.  Our first encounter with you had us unimpressed by your elastic gooeyness and the audacity of filling yourself with sweetened red bean paste.  Who declared that you were a sweet treat?  We swore that we wouldn't touch you again.

 And then, we happened to find you with a whole new filling: sponge cake, a strawberry, and Japanese cream (which is real whipped cream with no sugar added).  Oh, this time you looked divine!  We decided to give you another try.  Wowza!  It was like eating a strawberry cloud.  Your stretchy rice dough covering was the perfect addition to the familiar blend of cake, strawberries, and cream.  We soon became addicted to this version of yourself.  We couldn't get enough of your light, sweet taste.  You somehow made us feel special as we savored each bite.

Gradually, we found ourselves indulging in your presence often.  Your elasticity was no longer an issue, and we even came to enjoy your other fillings--including red bean paste.  You became something that made us smile every time we saw you.

In no time at all, you were our utmost favorite delicacy. Oh, how we adored you! Even seeing you wrapped in cherry blossom leaves--LEAVES, for heaven's sake!--did not intimidate us, and we dug in wholeheartedly. The leaves gave you a slightly salty-sweet flavor that, of course, we thoroughly enjoyed. 

Only two of us (Christopher and Mom) were fortunate enough to savor the lemon mochi on  the occasion of Chris's birthday. When described by the partakers, their eyes gleam with the memory of your flavor. They insist this was the best kind in the country, and that its citrus and powdered sugar perfection is worth getting back on a plane and someday returning to Japan so that ALL of us may sample your goodness.
We love you, mochi.  As we prepare to return to America, we don't know how we are going to go on without you....but, we will do our best to be in your presence once again.  Someday.