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Delicious but deadly mochi: The Japanese rice cakes that kill | Delicious but deadly mochi: The Japanese rice cakes that kill |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Two people have died in Japan and several are in a critical condition after choking on traditional rice cakes as part of the new year celebrations. | Two people have died in Japan and several are in a critical condition after choking on traditional rice cakes as part of the new year celebrations. |
They may seem harmless, but each year the hard-to-eat snack claims several lives, prompting annual warnings from officials. | They may seem harmless, but each year the hard-to-eat snack claims several lives, prompting annual warnings from officials. |
What is a mochi? | What is a mochi? |
The cakes, known as mochi, are cute round buns made of soft and chewy rice. | The cakes, known as mochi, are cute round buns made of soft and chewy rice. |
The rice is first steamed and then pounded and mashed. | The rice is first steamed and then pounded and mashed. |
The resulting sticky rice mass is then formed into the final mochi shape and baked or boiled. | The resulting sticky rice mass is then formed into the final mochi shape and baked or boiled. |
Families traditionally celebrate New Year by cooking a vegetable broth in which they heat the mochi. | Families traditionally celebrate New Year by cooking a vegetable broth in which they heat the mochi. |
How do they kill? | How do they kill? |
The buns are chewy and sticky. Given they are far bigger than bite-sized, they need to be laboriously chewed before swallowing. | The buns are chewy and sticky. Given they are far bigger than bite-sized, they need to be laboriously chewed before swallowing. |
Anyone who can't chew properly - like children, or the elderly - will likely find them hard to eat. | Anyone who can't chew properly - like children, or the elderly - will likely find them hard to eat. |
If not chewed but simply swallowed, the sticky mochi gets stuck in the throat - and can lead to suffocation. | If not chewed but simply swallowed, the sticky mochi gets stuck in the throat - and can lead to suffocation. |
According to Japanese media, 90% of those rushed to hospital from choking on their new year's dish are people aged 65 or older. | |
What's a safe way to eat them? | What's a safe way to eat them? |
Chew, chew, chew. If that's not possible, the rice cakes need to be cut into smaller pieces. | Chew, chew, chew. If that's not possible, the rice cakes need to be cut into smaller pieces. |
Each year, authorities issue public warnings in the run-up to the new year festivities advising that people - especially the very young and elderly - should only eat mochi cut down to smaller little chunks. | Each year, authorities issue public warnings in the run-up to the new year festivities advising that people - especially the very young and elderly - should only eat mochi cut down to smaller little chunks. |
Yet despite the warnings, each year there continue to be deaths linked to the dish. | Yet despite the warnings, each year there continue to be deaths linked to the dish. |
At the turn of 2014 to 2015, the number of casualties peaked at nine. In 2016 it was one, while last year two people died. | At the turn of 2014 to 2015, the number of casualties peaked at nine. In 2016 it was one, while last year two people died. |
Each year, many more end up in critical condition in hospitals across the country. | Each year, many more end up in critical condition in hospitals across the country. |
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