Early Autumn Mochi in the Late Summer Heat
Well, it seems that early autumn has just about come to Kyoto. The days are getting shorter and the nights cooler, yet the summer heat of mid-day still lingers, as if not quite ready to go.
The other day I ventured out to Kyoto City’s Demachiyanagi area. It’s a quick ride on the Keihan train line to Demachiyanagi station at just six minutes from Gion-Shijo. As soon as you emerge from the station, you are greeted by a gloriously green park. The park is formed around the area where two rivers combine to become Kamo River. Despite being so close to the most urban area of the city, Demachiyanagi feels like a little slice of the countryside, not only because of the abundance of natural scenery, but also the free spirit of the park-goers; cyclists pedal leisurely down the banks, children and adults alike skip across the rocks that make a path across the river in giddy exhilaration, and couples stroll lazily hand-in-hand. Occasionally you’ll see an old man soaking up some sun shirtless.
Just a quick one or two minute walk from the park is the famous Demachi Futaba. This store dates back to 1899 and is known for its mochi, especially mame mochi (or “bean mochi”). The store is small, and there is no indoor seating. There is always a line, but waiting for these special treats is totally worth it. As soon as I got in line, I noticed the numerous awards the shop has collected over the years displayed in a glass case. Workers busy like bees took orders while others working in the back pounded, rolled, and packaged mochi treats in a sort of orderly chaos. As I edged closer to the front of the line, a showcase of the mochi menu items came into view. Always a sucker for seasonal items, I chose the Tsukimi-dango made from sweet potatoes, and the chestnut mochi. For the sake of tradition, I also ordered the store’s two classic items: inaka daifuku (made from a type of herb call wormwood) and the renowned mame mochi.
With my mochi treats in hand, I bounded back to the riverside park and found a rock worthy of my sitting upon it. I did just that, unwrapped my mochi, and chowed down. Wow was it fresh! The mochi was super stretchy yet delicately soft. I could see why it’s described as “soft as a baby’s cheeks”. The red bean paste inside was just slightly sweetened, so as not to kill the original essence of the beans. Dragonflies, a symbol of the transition of summer into autumn, floated past in enlightened flight as if to congratulate me on my delicious discovery. What a perfect treat in a perfect setting.
With mochi this good, I can almost forgive the fact that summer is coming to an end.
株式会社KINSHA