So far this New Year's season, 2 people are dead after eating a Japanese new year's tradition. They apparently choked to death on a popular rice cake. Every year during New Year's celebrations in Japan there are news stories of people, mainly children and the elderly, choking on the popular chewy snack. The cakes seem harmless. Each year, Japanese officials warn that the hard-to-eat rice snacks can be a choking hazard. The cakes are known as Mochi. The problem is they're very chewy and form a sticky mass. Anyone unable to chew properly, like kids and the elderly, will likely find them hard to eat.
Anyone eating Mochi should eat it in small pieces and really chew it.
Photo: AOL