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Mochi

2 stages from Japanese to English.

Today it means a soft, chewy Japanese rice cake, often filled with sweet paste or ice cream

Where does the word "mochi" come from? It comes from Japanese mochi, adopted directly into English (late 1900s-2000s).

Japanese · ancient

"pounded glutinous rice cake"

named rice pounded into a sticky, chewy cake, tied to New Year traditions

English · late 1900s-2000s

"a chewy rice cake, often filled with sweet paste or ice cream"

borrowed as Japanese sweets, including mochi ice cream, spread internationally

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