It is believed that a person who knows how to eat mochi has a lot of patience and endurance in him or her. While most of such beliefs are wiped off as mere superstitions, this one has quite a bit of logical reasoning behind it. Mochi is a kind of Japanese cake that is made of glutinous rice, which is first pounded into paste and then molded in different shapes. To eat this sticky rice ball, you really need to chew it well and for quite some time, which in turn needs a lot of patience. Thus, the saying is not totally baseless.  

Eating mochi doesn’t really need you to keep an eye on your watch. You can eat mochi at anytime of the day. You can have them as light snacks or as part of a larger course. There are different kinds of mochi and each has its own distinct flavor.

Shoyu Mochi:

Shoyu Mochi is a great option for breakfast. It is the easiest way of making mochi. Served typically with soy sauce and wrapped with Nori (dried seaweed), this is definitely a new way to start your mornings.

Kinako Mochi:

Mochis, especially Kinako Mochis are also eaten as light snacks. Kinako Mochi is a sweet item that is lightly toasted with soybean powder. Not too heavy, and easy to make, this can be eaten anytime, whenever you feel a little hungry.

Nikomi Udon:

You can also eat mochi as part of your lunch or dinner. However, usually mochi is served in the form of Nikomi Udon during lunches or dinners. Udon is a kind of Japanese noodles that is made up of wheat flour. Nikomi Udon, in particular, is a dish that combines noodles, vegetables, chicken, etc and is served with mochi balls in them. A wholesome meal, full of proteins, carbohydrates and other goodness, healthy minded people should surely give this a shot.

Ozoni:

Mochi is also eaten in the form of ozoni. Ozoni is basically soups made up of boiled radishes, cabbages and other vegetables with cubes of mochi dropped in them.

Aburaage:

Another interesting way of eating mochi is to wrap them in Aburaage. Aburrage is basically a thin slice of deep fried tofu. Mochi tends to melt very easily when cooked for a long time. Thus, wrapping it up with aburaage prevents it from melting easily, thereby retaining it original flavor and texture.

Mochi Ice cream:

You can commonly find mochi ice creams as well. Small balls of ice creams wrapped in mochi – the combination is a unique, yet delicious dessert. Mochi ice creams offer a variety of flavors - mango, chocolate, vanilla and strawberry - there’s something to offer to people of all tastes.

Thus, you can eat mochi in a variety of ways and at any point of the day. A representative food for the Japanese New Year, this traditional dish is now found throughout the year due to its increasing popularity. Eat mochi once, and you will surely want to try it the second time.
   
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