餅

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 餅 (もち) is the food noun rice cake.
• Basic usage: 餅に醤油を付ける makes the cake the surface receiving sauce; 餅を小さく切る makes it the object being cut.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Prepared rice cake and handling
  • 餅 is Japanese rice cake made from pounded glutinous rice. It may puff when grilled and harden when cool; even when soft, its stickiness calls for careful cutting and eating.