The History of Food Traditions, Culture, And Systems And The History of Campaigns And Movements For, About, And Involving Food
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Japanese Mochi (sweet rice) Cakes for New Year’s
Photo: Mochi (Sweet Rice) Blondie
In looking through notes I took years ago on special occasion foods, I came across an interesting Japanese tradition. Japanese Americans make mochi (sweet rice) cakes for New Year’s. The rice made me think about the historical links in which Asian traders introduced new species of rice to Africa long before the start of the African slave trade. As mentioned in earlier post, for U.S. Southerners, especially Carolinians, there is no New Year’s celebration without rice based hoppin John (and rice pudding). Likewise Mochi cakes, made from layers of sweet rice steamed and shaped into cakes and seasoned, sometimes with coconut, represents the yearly culinary high point for Japanese Americans.
Frederick Douglass Opie is the author of Hog and Hominy. His grassroots approach to writing about foodways reveals the global origins of American food, the forces that shaped its development, and the distinctive cultural collaborations that occurred among Africans, Asians, Europeans, and Americans throughout history. Opie shows how food can be an indicator of social position, a site of community building and cultural identity, and a juncture at which different cultural traditions can develop and impact the collective health of a community.
ADD Warning
For those, like my wife, who can’t stand typos, watch out! I have severe ADD which kept me from moving forward with this blog for too long. My friend encouraged me to start blogging and just disclose my disability the same way I do on the first day of class as a college professor. Folks I regularly make spelling mistakes because of my disability. In order to get two books and several academic journal articles published I use a professional copy editor. To blog that would take too much time and money. So if you can overlook my typos, enjoy my musings.
Frederick Douglass Opie lectures and writes about the history of food traditions, culture, and systems and how and why they have changed. He's interested in how people have historically thought and acted about food and the campaigns and movements for, about, and involving food. He is the author of three books including Hog and Hominy: Soul Food from Africa to America. Opie has appeared on the popular American Public Media show The Splendid Table, Good Food, and in the NYC Media television series Appetite City. Opie is a Professor of History and Foodways at Babson College in Massachusetts. He received his Ph.D. in history from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. For interviews and or booking send your contact information with a brief note via email to fdopie@gmail.com
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