What is Damakomochi? A detailed explanation of its origins and differences from Kiritanpo [Akita Prefecture]

I've heard that Akita Prefecture has a food called damakomochi that 's very similar to kiritanpo , but I think there are many people who don't really know the difference.

In this article, we will explain in detail everything from the origins of Damakomochi to delicious recipes for eating it

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What is Damakomochi?

Damakomochiis made by cooking non-glutinous rice, then crushing it in a mortar until some rice grains remain, and then rolling it into small balls about 3 cm in diameter.

There are several theories about the origin of the name " damakomochi ," including one that it comes from "dama," meaning to crush and roll the rice, combined with the diminutive suffix "ko," which expresses the emotional meaning of "small" or "a little," and another that it comes from "damako," an Akita dialect word for beanbag . The exact origin remains unknown.

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About the origin of Damakomochi

There are various theories about the origin of Damakomochi, but here are two of the most common ones

Theory that it originated from dipping dishes

In the Hachirogata area of ​​Akita Prefecture, there is a way of eating called "tsukego," which involves grilling fish caught in Lake Hachirogata, such as smelt and icefish, putting them in a pot and seasoning them with miso. One theory suggests that the origin of this dish is that people would tear mashed rice into bite-sized pieces with chopsticks and dip them into this tsukego .

The theory that it is the way forestry workers eat their lunches

It is said that the origin of damakomochi (a type of rice cake) comes from the practice of forestry workers in the Hachirogata area placing their lunch rice on tree stumps and crushing it with the back of an axe before eating it

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「The difference between "Damakomochi" and "Kiritanpo"

What is the difference between "Damakomochi" and "Kiritanpo"?

I've summarized it in a table

	Damakomochi	Kiritanpo
shape	Dumpling-shaped	Rod-shaped
To bake or not	Do not bake	bake
cooking method	pot	Hotpot and miso soup
Areas where you often eat	Central Akita Prefecture, Noshiro-Yamamoto region	Northern Akita Prefecture

While kiritanpo is traditionally eaten on special occasions such as when inviting guests , damakomochi is considered an everyday dish. This distinction likely stems from the fact that damakomochi is easier to make than kiritanpo because it doesn't require the process of shaping it into a stick and grilling it.

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Delicious recipe for Damakomochi hot pot

Damakomochi nabe, originally a local dish of the Minami-Akita region around Lake Hachirogata , used grilled fish such as smelt and icefish caught in Lake Hachirogata as its broth. However, due to the reclamation of Lake Hachirogata and the resulting drastic decrease in fish catches , chicken bones are now used as the broth instead of fish.

This time, I'll introduce a recipe for a delicious chicken broth damakomochi hot pot

Ingredients (for 1 person)

• Chicken bones (100g)
• Water (appropriate amount)
• Chicken thigh (1/2 piece)
• Japanese parsley (1/4 bag)
• Burdock root (1/4)
• Green onion (1/4)
• Konnyaku threads (1/4 bag)
• Rice (1/2 cup)
• soy sauce (appropriate amount)
• Cooking sake (appropriate amount)
• Mirin (a little)

How to make it

1. Put the rice in a mortar and pestle, crush it with a pestle until a few grains remain, then roll it into balls about 3cm in diameter
2. Cut the chicken thighs, Japanese parsley, burdock root, and green onions into bite-sized pieces
3. Wash the konnyaku noodles thoroughly and cut them into chunks
4. Put chicken bones and water in a pot, bring to a boil, and make the stock
5. Remove the chicken bones and add soy sauce, cooking sake, and mirin (sweet rice wine) to taste and bring to a boil
6. Add the chicken and burdock root and simmer (add the harder ingredients first so that they cook evenly)
7. Add konnyaku noodles and boil
8. Add the damakomochi and simmer
9. Add the parsley and green onions and simmer
10. Once the flavor has soaked into the damakomochi and konnyaku noodles and they have turned a light color, they are ready

The broth comes from both the chicken bones and the chicken meat, resulting in a gentle flavor

There is an easy way to make it using commercially available chicken stock, but if you are looking for deliciousness, it is recommended that you carefully extract the broth from chicken bones

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lastly

Damakomochi is a home-cooked dish that is commonly eaten in central Akita Prefecture and the Noshiro-Yamamoto region. Its ingredients are very similar to those of kiritanpo, but we learned that kiritanpo is more of a treat or a dish to be enjoyed by others, while damakomochi is more of an everyday meal

Be sure to try Damakomochi, which will warm you up during the cold winter

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