Shamoji
A Shamoji (Japanese杓 文字orしゃもじ) is in the Japanese kitchen, a flat spoon for rice. It is used for stirring and serving of rice, but in particular for mixing rice, rice vinegar, sugar and salt for preparing rice for sushi in a wooden tub ( Hangiri ).
The kitchen appliance is usually relatively cheap and is traditionally made of bamboo, wood or lacquer, but now often made of plastic.
The Shamoji must be regularly dipped into the water during use to prevent sticking of the rice. More expensive plastic Shamoij have provided a non-stick coating. Metal, however, is rarely used, since this rather damaged the rice grains and can also damage the traditional wooden vessels for the sushi rice preparation ( Hangiri ).
When serving of rice with the Shamoji you have to be careful not to flatten the rice grains.
Wooden Shamoji are a typical souvenir from the island of Miyajima in Hiroshima, where they decorated and provided with inscriptions and in different sizes to specimens of approximately 1 m in length are available.