"Try our mochi," calls out Nao Sakai at a Tokyo market as she sells rice and rice cakes made at her family's shop in Yamagata Prefecture.

Mochi, or glutinous rice cake, is a popular treat eaten especially during the New Year's holidays and holds a special place in Japanese hearts.

The cakes can be eaten in myriad ways but are traditionally eaten as ozoni (a soup with mochi and vegetables), and is considered the most auspicious dish to eat on New Year's Day.