noun
mugwort rice cake; kusa mochi
A traditional Japanese sweet made from glutinous rice flour mixed with yomogi (mugwort) leaves, giving it a green color and herbal fragrance. Often filled with sweet red bean paste.
See also: 蓬餅
春になると、祖母が草餅を作ってくれる。
When spring comes, my grandmother makes kusa mochi for us.
草餅のほのかな苦みが大人の味だ。
The subtle bitterness of kusa mochi is a grown-up taste.
蓬餅 is a synonym; both refer to the same mugwort rice cake. 草餅 is the more common term.
Compound of 草 (kusa, 'grass/herb') and 餅 (mochi, 'rice cake'), referring to the mugwort (yomogi) mixed into the mochi.