beware of sticky rice cakes

[kimchicowboy]

http://asia.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/01/03/japan.ricecake.ap/index.html

TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- Six elderly Japanese died and 25 others were hospitalized in Tokyo after choking on gooey rice cakes over the New Year's holidays, an official said.

Three men, ages 87, 88 and 89, died Thursday after suffocating from the traditional New Year's fare. An 85-year-old man and a 92-year-old woman died Wednesday and an 86-year-old man died Sunday under similar circumstances, Tokyo Fire Department official Yuichi Yokomizo said.

Twelve others were in a coma, he said.

Every year, a handful of mostly elderly Japanese suffer after getting "mochi" rice cakes stuck in their throats.

Mochi are usually served grilled and wrapped in dried seaweed, or in a broth.

Twenty Japanese, most of them elderly, were hospitalized during the holiday last year after getting mochi lodged in their throats, but none died.

A mochi accident survey is taken annually from December 26 through January 3, when the rice cakes are most commonly eaten.

On Monday, the Tokyo Fire Department warned residents of the risks of eating the rice cakes, and urged them to take small bites, chew well and drink a lot of liquid with them.

[johnnymk]

Prolly mixed wif Soopah Gloo Gai Pan:D

[Hunny]

Originally posted by kimchicowboy
http://asia.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/01/03/japan.ricecake.ap/index.html

TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- Six elderly Japanese died and 25 others were hospitalized in Tokyo after choking on gooey rice cakes over the New Year's holidays, an official said.

Twelve others were in a coma, he said.

Every year, a handful of mostly elderly Japanese suffer after getting "mochi" rice cakes stuck in their throats.

Twenty Japanese, most of them elderly, were hospitalized during the holiday last year after getting mochi lodged in their throats, but none died.

A mochi accident survey is taken annually from December 26 through January 3, when the rice cakes are most commonly eaten.


I wonder if they'll sue the rice cake company...maybe a possible warning to the elderly on the back of the box?
Is that like "Having your cake and choking on it too"...now that was a sick joke...sorry that was the 20 yr old in me coming out... :P

Hit me with my candybar :bonk:
Seriously, it would seem to me that with so much death going on because of these rice cakes, something would be done about them...:shrug:

[Kim]

Originally posted by johnnymk
Prolly mixed wif Soopah Gloo Gai Pan:D

Oh my gosh, you make me spit my drink! :heh:

[rajatQ2]

Originally posted by Hunny


Seriously, it would seem to me that with so much death going on because of these rice cakes, something would be done about them...:shrug:



Well they sell those rice cakes at every little quickie mart on every corner of every japanese city. Most of them are really really good, too. Its like a japanese candy bar.... almost.


About doing something about it, you may be shocked, but the japanese have a weak legal conciousness. They arent so quick to sue over "mistakes" as we americans are. I agree with them, most people do not choke on rice cakes. why? because they THINK before they eat.


I wish that everyone would think before they do stuff.

-rajatQ2 (drinking coffee out of a cup that says "WARNING, HOT COFFEE INSIDE IS EXTREMELY HOT")

[Freelance Superhero]

well, it's a tradition... it might make sense to put some warning on it, except that new year's isn't the only time mochi is eaten. it would be like putting a warning on every bag of doritos because of the inherent risk of choking on some rogue chip...

think of it like this: it's not because mochi is dangerous; it's because you have EVERYONE in the nation eating them on the same day. if you take into account the fact that even the elderly eat them, you're BOUND to end up with a few "casualties", so to speak. i mean, if EVERYONE in the US ate a bag of doritos on new year's day as a tradition, i'd think there'd be a lot of doritos-related hospitalizations here too...

on a side note, i had my mochi in an oyster soup and it was good. :D

[Hunny]

Originally posted by Freelance Superhero
well, it's a tradition... it might make sense to put some warning on it, except that new year's isn't the only time mochi is eaten. it would be like putting a warning on every bag of doritos because of the inherent risk of choking on some rogue chip...

think of it like this: it's not because mochi is dangerous; it's because you have EVERYONE in the nation eating them on the same day. if you take into account the fact that even the elderly eat them, you're BOUND to end up with a few "casualties", so to speak. i mean, if EVERYONE in the US ate a bag of doritos on new year's day as a tradition, i'd think there'd be a lot of doritos-related hospitalizations here too...

on a side note, i had my mochi in an oyster soup and it was good. :D


I don't like doritos, so I guess I wouldn't be choking on them...and I have no idea what mochi is...sounds fishy to me...

[Freelance Superhero]

japanese mochi, to put it short, are rice cakes. they're typically small and round, like this:
http://www.amychavez.addr.com/imgs/mochi/mochi_flying-t.jpg
i think the form that most people are familiar with are the smooth, soft, powdery ones that are sweet and usually filled with red bean, but the ones consumed at this time of year are much simpler, plain rice ones. when they're fresh, they're soft, but they harden quickly, and they're usually stored this way. my parents have a ton of them just sitting in our freezer, and when it's time to eat, you just plop a couple of them into soup and they soften up.

every year on new year's day, my extended family on my dad's side (my japanese half) get together and go through the whole process of creating homemade mochi. it's a pretty fun tradition. you wash these huge amounts of rice and steam it in large, stackable wooden crates. they you pour the rice out into a big stone bowl and 3 or 4 people use large wooden mallets to pound it into a sort of dough. you squeeze off little bits of the dough, roll it in flour and smush it into its flat shape. ta da!

[Hunny]

Originally posted by Freelance Superhero
japanese mochi, to put it short, are rice cakes. they're typically small and round, like this:
http://www.amychavez.addr.com/imgs/mochi/mochi_flying-t.jpg
......ta da!

Thank you....now see...when someone asks me what mochi is...I can tell them and be smart !!!!:D

[Freelance Superhero]

no problemo... ;)

[ArkiStan]

Originally posted by kimchicowboy
A mochi accident survey is taken annually from December 26 through January 3, when the rice cakes are most commonly eaten.

jeez, they never teach you about the important stuff in statistics classes...