Mochi Like You've Never Had it Before (Japan)

On a trip to Japan in 2025, Matt Card stopped into a traditional Japanese snack and confection shop and encountered a mochi unlike any he'd tasted before. Mochi is a simple dish—just rice, flour, and sugar—but it turns out freshness can make all the difference. "Fresh mochi has absolutely nothing to do with the supermarket stuff we're used to here," Card says. "It's really a whole different beast."