English Reference

Word

mochi

/ˈmoʊtʃi/

Definition

n. a soft, chewy Japanese food made from rice that has been pounded into a sticky paste.

n. a Japanese rice cake made of mochigome, a short-grain glutinous rice, which is pounded into a paste and moulded into shapes.

Examples

“We ate sweet mochi for dessert after our meal.”

“During the New Year celebrations, many families gather to prepare traditional mochi using a large wooden mallet.”

“While traditionally served in savoury soups, mochi has gained international popularity as a sweet confection, often wrapped around small scoops of ice cream.”

Examples

simple

“We ate sweet mochi for dessert after our meal.”

contextual

“During the New Year celebrations, many families gather to prepare traditional mochi using a large wooden mallet.”

complex

“While traditionally served in savoury soups, mochi has gained international popularity as a sweet confection, often wrapped around small scoops of ice cream.”

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the substance; countable when referring to individual cakes or pieces.

Real-World Examples

“In Japan, the new year is not complete without o-zōni, a soup made with mochi rice cakes and dashi broth – a fundamental Japanese stock created by simmering dried kombu and bonito flakes.”
BBC Travel · 5 Mar 2026
“In Sendai, summer is incomplete without zunda mochi, a bright green rice cake made from edam.”
BBC Travel · 20 Jul 2025
“The cakes, known as mochi, are cute round buns made of soft and chewy rice.”
BBC · 2 Jan 2018
“Mochi, which are chewy cakes made from pounded rice, are customarily consumed in large amounts during the holiday season, frequently prepared in soup, toasted, or accompanied by sweet soy sauce and wrapped in seaweed.”
The Guardian · 5 Jan 2015

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 餅(もち) (mochi).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Domain

Cooking

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/mochi

English Reference