JAPANESE MOCHI HOW TO

The savoury version of mochi is served sauté – with no filling or additional sprinkles. They are put in separate paper cups so that they do not get stuck together. Once formed, the cookies are ready to eat. They are often rolled in the goma black sesame or in the kinako soya powder.

In more modern, Europeanised versions, mochi are stuffed with chocolate, chocolate cream, or even ice cream. Daifuku, meaning “great luck,” is a special version of the rice balls – with a strawberry in the middle, so the name of the dessert is probably self-explanatory. The traditional cream is made of red adzuki bean with an addition of sugar or honey. Sweet mochi are typically stuffed with the anko paste – an ingredient of many Japanese treats. Authentic recipes tend to contain powdered matcha or yamoga leaves, which give the cookies and interesting greenish shade. Mochi owe their unique hues to the addition of food colouring. The elastic, sticky mass is used to form balls, slightly resembling Polish knedle. Achieving the right elasticity requires kneading the dough long and thoroughly. At home, they can be made in a steamer, a rice cooker or even a microwave oven, where the rice pap is pre-heated. Mochi are made of rice mass based on glutinous rice (boiled whole or ground to flour), water and – for the dessert version – sugar.

JAPANESE MOCHI HOW TO

Mochi recipe – how to make Japanese mochi?

Even though it is their sweet version – served in Japanese houses in the new year season – that is best known outside Japan, everyday rice balls are salty, enjoyed as a starter or side with hot dishes. Whether smooth and inconspicuous or intricately decorated, the rice mochi attract the attention and tempt with their unusual appearance. The small multicolour cookies that slightly resemble marzipan treats in terms of form cannot go unnoticed in any Japanese patisserie.