Why Traditional Japanese Rice Cake (Mochi) Became Popular in This Hokkaido Port City! S1 Ep.1

Why Traditional Japanese Rice Cake (Mochi) Became Popular in This Hokkaido Port City! S1 Ep.1

pull a maneuver like that on me at least have the courtesy to give me a double Hazard really you woman this road is incredibly dodgy because can you see in the middle round about when’s the last time i’ I saw a roundabout in Japan I don’t think I’ve ever seen one like this what’s happening guys and welcome to the very first episode of moto munches Japan where we are on a mission to discover the best of Japanese food on two wheels if you’re new here which you most likely are I’m Zach I’m from the UK and have in Japan for a little over 6 years now and I’m out discovering the culture of traveling for food here in Japan today we’ll be riding to Otaru now Otaru is famous for seafood but we’re not going there for some seafood we’re going there for some fried chicken now usually the MO is to go out and just discover food but when somebody tells me that there’s a place that does some of the best fried chicken in Hokkaido I have to go and check it out now the place we’re going to is called Naruto I have never been there before but apparently it’s the bees knees so that’s what we’re doing we’re riding to Otaru it’s about an hour and a half ride it’s not really too exciting to be honest with you a lot of straight roads but on the way back should be pretty interesting because I’m planning to take the longer route across the mountain I have to be careful because there’s still a lot of snow about in certain places super excited for that I actually went out yesterday on the bike and I was a little bit naughty I parked the bike here in the underground car park of my apartment not really allowed to do that in fact we’ve had to rent a garage uh purely to store the bike just a stone’s throw away from the apartment but uh yeah I just I forgot how really good it feels to get out of the apartment and jump straight onto the bike I mean even though it’s a little distance away it’s it’s just not the same honestly so I’m just going to hop on the bike and uh let’s uh let’s get riding cuz I’m hungry let’s [Music] [Music] [Applause] go all right let’s go let’s win uh my uh my fingers feel really sore this morning these uh gear leevers must really give it a workout cuz they’re short as well right these are the short versions that long as my finger got weak taking a a right over here somewhere right out wow one straight road oh look at the pretty mountains with this snow top I think when we arrived in hoky though there was still snow on top of mountain so that’s probably going to be there for a little while longer so another the highway but okay right I think I’m dipping down here then yeah the green is always uh a caution it is you just like a toll run right all highways in Japan are pretty much toll roads you got to PIR and wow yay the first run of the day going to arrive there half now so way too early uh for the chicken shop I guess what are you doing what are you doing see if you pull a maneuver like that on me at least have the courtesy to give me a double Hazard really woman not booty yeah he’s definitely having a little peek at some dodgy stuff let’s go speak to these guys you oh nice nice nice no no so s Z okay hi so nice to meet you hi thank you bye-bye see random encs are the best so uh we just exchanged details and uh they also live in sapuro they’re a rider couple and hopefully I can introduce them to I and we can all ride together next time right now to to this uh dessert shop that I’ve just uh stuck stuck into my Google Maps ah Rai I’m sure that’s the uh Ki restaurant somebody recommended to me once the scream at the cola the fuel lights come on oh yeah it’s a bit chilly on this uh this neck of the woods some sort of ancient Quarry to get going to have to start looking into get a new [Music] set they don’t charge you for checking the uh the ti fling them here it’s in the UK how much is it I think it’s what 20p 30p I think it is so what remember taking my uh my bicycle along to the P station to to pump up the tires saving up my 20 PS it was nice blessing from right fueled up let’s uh keep the shore going shall we all right so my the desert shop I was going to go to is around the corner but this looks quite interesting so why don’t we pull over here and see what uh they have going on I think it’s some sort of moochi star why the hell [Music] not same ride a couple right down who I met at the convenience store earlier little did I know they were going in this direction actually should have asked them that could have ridden together anyway yeah so I pulled over that shop I think is a m sh which is maybe rice cake I guess uh it looked quite interesting and I I saw a few cars pull over into it uh while I whilst I was in the traffic so uh let’s go check it out you all right guys Japanese Moji is a traditional rice cake with a rich history actually going back over a thousand years now originally used in religious ceremonies Mochi is now enjoyed as a popular tree during special occasions and festivals such as the New Year’s now the process of making this involves pounding glutenous rice into a sticky door which is then shaped and filled with various sweet or savory fillings now traditionally this pounding is done manually by hand and it’s quite a spectacle to watch as overly zealous Japanese men pound the door whilst the hammer is simultaneously coming down just missing it by split seconds inside at this store instead of the overly zous Japanese men we had grandmas making the Mochi and actually some of them who over 90 years old IU is a popular variation of Mochi featuring a soft Mochi exterior filled with sweet fillings like red bean paste inside red bean paste is a staple ingredient in many convections here in Japan I would actually go as fast to say it’s too commonly used it’s actually made from aduki Beans and it’s cooked with sugar thank [Music] [Music] [Music] you again another magic moment I’m so glad I pulled over uh to step inside this shop and check it out uh it was so nice seeing the old ladies you know hustling away and stuff making the mooji inside this store there’s like five of them working behind in the kitchen now done from here I’m uh still going to continue the journey to the next uh dessert shop that I plan to to visit and uh then time for chick in right picked up our mes and now we are off [Music] again all right well that was a really lucky experience again uh I had the lucky opportunity to to go behind the counter and see how the Moi is made you couldn’t get any more traditional that shop there has actually been running over 100 years the lady said I think it’s the left over here where the next dessert shop is so okay the shop I’m looking to go to I think it’s on this street somewhere here oh there it is moi some more Moi okay the Moi must be quite popular in this area then I [Music] guess [Music] [Music] hi hi foree [Music] [Music] so the shop that was going to come to was a moi shop as well so it was nice they’re literally in the uh in the same area this one looks a lot more trendier actually than the other one and I saw a little Instagram poster inside as well so maybe they’re doing more work towards their branding efforts we’re going to get back on the bike and on the road again let’s go opens at 11: so we’ll make it just in time okay so it’s on the other side of other so we’re going to cut right through it all right so this is Central with the station on the left hand side here doesn’t really look too alive does it okay I think we’re taking a a left ahead oh come on there it is chop chop I reckon there’ll be a queue hey here we go on the think there’s a weight inside I guess all right so this is Naruto my uh goal for the day already starting to get busy and it’s only just open with blocks of people walking in there so get inside and get a seat yeah will be nice broken I think really broken I done let’s try that [Music] again first established in 1957 this is the original Naruto chicken shop serving some of the juiciest Fried Chicken here in hokido it has since become a landmark of oo I actually came across this by accident I had no idea at the time of how famous it was they have three branches in Hokkaido and even one in Tokyo their signature dish is Han miag a whole half chicken fried to crispy Perfection let’s go and Destroy some fried chicken shall we I think we’ve got to over the counter first right chicken yeah chicken chicken and chicken so this is what we’re working with an early start there for someone okay but let me show you famous chicken mon from Korea he’s touring by himself he’s out for 7even days boming over some chicken so in Korea very good chicken very good chicken so you tell me if this is good or I’m going to ask my what he’s doing with this chicken if it uh really does compare to to Korean chicken this is it guys this is it oh looks piping H do the Das as usual salmon I think I’m going to have that first in some soy sauce in there got some tofu here [Music] you destroyed it but now is the moment of truth that yeah good chicken but Korean chicken is on a whole different level I’m sorry I have to agree with my man over here but it was good it was good take care take care food com is kicking in gradually as well all right okay come on hi my sh goody tourists see it’s getting a lot busy now ain’t it it’s like a cute magical Cafe that don’t it wow this road is really grally quite dangerous so this is like the the main touristy part I guess of everyone tries to queue up here to snack a picture thought i’ be able to get a bike on here but no it’s not happening got size of this curb [ __ ] bad let’s go straight ahead see a Bo feel like doing a GTA move here just pressing triangle and Diving through off the bike having a little photo shoot aren’t they awesome should we get a big picture just have a little break I guess it’s not the quick few pictures and uh yeah backu on the [Music] road what strip wow looks completely different when there’s no snow here [Music] the hot call he good out side good speed Captain I’m it off okay wow this road is incredibly dodgy because can you see in the middle uh there’s lots of ground on the edges as well and that’s been uh that’s probably spread here when there was tons of snow here so and it’s still here I don’t know what they’re going to do they’re going to swoop it up before summer God knows but either way it’s very very dangerous uh crossing over it roundabout when’s the last time i’ I saw a roundabout in Japan I don’t think I’ve ever seen one like this I’m messing about here that it’s quite steep wow yeah imagine yeah yeah walking down here when it’s uh in the middle of winter wonder what effect that has on the house prices here is it cheap then mind you you got a cracking view from up here as well though don’t you great open roads I can’t believe I’ve just done that I’ve just block broke my uh my zipper for my jacket here oh God yeah we are going on that bridge oh wow woo awesome wow that was Bloody high up in it and it’s quiet me I feel like my tires have probably warmed up a fair bit but just seeing snow regardless if it’s on the road just seeing it in my field of vision it just it throws me off a little bit [Music] yeah I captured this this sort of bridge here with the Drone so fantastic that milk Cafe I can see ice cream there yeah just rid in bu and I saw this interesting place it’s a a gas station that’s converted to a dessert shop a bubble tea matcha flavored bubble tea can sit down and enjoy it [Applause] right well uh that was an interesting stop over right about an hour away from home so let’s uh call the video here thanks for watching guys thanks for joining me another ride I hopefully see you again uh batter’s low on pretty much everything right now I’m about half an hour away from home so till till next time oh bloody summer

After a long Hokkaido winter, we’re kicking of the first moto food tour here in Japan with a ride to Otaru an hour north of Sapporo for some delicious Hanmiage, deep-fried Hokkaido special chicken.

Get ready for a tasty Hokkaido motorcycle food tour as we also dive into the world of mochi, the traditional Japanese rice cake dessert that’s over 1,000 years old, and learn about its unique association with Otaru.

Coming out of winter wonderland here in Hokkaido the roads find out why the roads a very dangerous for riders!

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