Mochi Magic: Five Best Snack Ideas!

Squishy, gummy, and marvelously chewy, there’s something inherently fun and tactile about mochi. If you’ve tried it before, you know how impossible it is to do justice to their signature iconic texture. 

This sweet treat has become one of the most aesthetically pleasing desserts in the world. It’s a versatile and intriguing Japanese snack with many sweet and savory variations. Continue reading to discover more about this delicacy and explore five delicious ways to savor mochi!

What is mochi?

Japanese dessert makers create mochi using mochigome (sweet glutinous rice flour). They fill the rice cake with sweet red bean paste in its traditional form. These sweet little rice cake confections come in various colors and flavors. Moreover, they are slightly sticky, delightfully chewy, like stretchy little clouds.

Mochi’s ingredients are so simple it’s downright impressive. The process involves steaming and processing mochigome rice through repeated smashing with traditional hammers or modern machines. After that, artisans form the mass into smaller pieces before it cools and hardens. Freshly made mochi is warm, soft, stretchy, and has the sweetness of rice.

Five Ways to Enjoy Mochi

There are many ways to use mochi as a wrap or filling, making it the perfect on-the-go snack. Here are some intriguing ways to use it, both savory and sweet.

Kirimochi

Kirimochi is a shelf stable mochi. Similar to fresh mochi, it is made only with glutinous rice. It comes rectangular and wrapped individually in plastic. It first feels like a hard brick, so you must cook it to soften it. Because kirimochi is shelf stable, it lasts for a long time unopened. 

Its mild, slightly sweet flavor can quickly be cooked and tossed with other foods. To eat it, grill it in the toaster oven, microwave it, or cook it on a dry frying pan. One of our favorite ways to enjoy kirimochi is to grill it with a sweet soy sauce. Overall, the combination of savory soy sauce and sweet sugar complements the chewy texture of the rice cake.

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Ozoni Soup

Ozoni soup is perfect for whenever you need a pick-me-up dish that offers a unique chewy texture in a tasty soup! It’s a soup with light miso (fermented soya beans paste), vegetables, and mochi. The Japanese traditionally eat this soup in the morning on New Year’s Day.

It’s the perfect hearty and satisfying soup to enjoy during the cold season and kick off the new year! Interestingly, different households have their unique way of preparing this traditional dish. One is different from the other, making it even more special!

Yukimi Daifuku (Mochi Ice Cream)

Mochi ice cream is a very modern snack filled with ice cream. One of the Japanese desserts people adopted overseas was the Yukimi Daifuku, a brand of mochi ice cream. 

The classic flavor is vanilla, with the outside sprinkled with cornstarch. But this popular frozen dessert comes in many other flavors, such as chocolate, matcha, cream cheese, sweet potato, and chestnut. 

Butter Mochi

A classic treat in Hawaii, this perfectly chewy, creamy cake is made of rice flour, condensed milk, and coconut milk. The inspiration comes from a hybrid of Filipino bibingka and Japanese rice cakes.

It’s vibrant and filling because of the butter and milk in the batter. This sweet treat has so many variations, which adds to the fun. The most popular ones include coconut or cocoa powder and chocolate chips for a buttery treat.

Mochi Doughnuts

Mochi donuts offer you the best of both worlds! These donuts have glutinous rice flour and were popularized by the famous Pon de Ring Donuts from Mister Donuts. The glutinous rice flour gives these baked goods a chewy, delicious center with a crunchy, browned exterior.

You’ll be head over heels for this versatile and delicious dough no matter what you choose to make with mochi. After all, it offers a little something for everyone! How many types have you tried? What are some of your favorites? Share them with us in the comments below!