Everywhere we look, we find some kind of rice version as a snack. Gohei, is an Edo period rice snack connected to the white paper zig-zagging streamers seen at Shinto Temples. The Gohei is still used to bless or sanctify a person, or object in various Shinto rituals. While it is used for some ceremonies, its usual purpose is to cleanse a sacred place at a temple.
Unlike the traditional mocha, Gohei mochi is not made from glutinous rice, it is made from white rice. The sauce varies, but is usually a weird concoction of sweet miso paste, peanuts and walnuts, or even sesame and or shiso. The Gohei mochi is difficult to miss and is found in Gifu and Nagano prefectures.
