7 things you need to do when you come visit Japan
If you are considering or already decided upon visiting Japan, here is a list of what you should not miss out on when you come and visit.
Kinako Mochi (きな粉餅)
Kinako Mochi
(きな粉餅)
While Mochi has gained prominence in the west in recent years, not many people know how Mochi is traditionally consumed. Mochi is made out of rice which is either used in meals or desserts. Kinako Mochi, which is a type of dessert which is covered with a sweet roasted soy bean powder, is one of the most orthodox ways of eating Mochi as a dessert.
Table of Contents
A little bit about Kinako Mochi (きな粉餅)
The origin of Kinako Mochi is said to have come from the Abegawa Mochi which is one of the specialty of the Shizuoka prefecture. The name “Abegawa” is said to have come from how Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was the first Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate (an era which was dominated by the Tokugawa family, starting from 1603 to 1868), stopped by a tea house by a river called Abegawa, and was served Mochi covered in Kinako, similar to the Kinako Mochi.
Concerning the dessert itself, the Kinako powder, which is made out roasted soy bean, is mixed with sugar, which makes the Kinako Mochi sweet from the sugar and also very aromatic and flavorful which comes from the roasting process of the soy beans.
List of Ingredients you will need to prepare Kinako Mochi
(Serving for 4 people)
・Mochi … 8 Slices
・Kinako powder …7 ounces (200 grams)
・Salt…1 Teaspoon
・Sugar …2.5 Teaspoon
Kinako Mochi Recipe
Before starting off, we recommend that you get a ready to cook Mochi because making Mochi from scratch is very arduous and not very realistic. We recommend getting the pre-cut Satou no Kirimochi (サトウの切り餅) which is very tasty and easy to prepare. Search for Kirimochi (which means pre-cut Mochi) on Amazon or Asian online shopping sites such as Weee! and Yamibuy and you should be able to easily buy it. The Kinako powder can also be purchased online by searching under “Kinako”. Make sure you buy one with Japanese letters as the others would most likely taste very different compared to proper Japanese ones.
1. Take out the Mochi from the plastic package.
2. Use the oven or oven toaster to heat up the Mochi. Make sure you have some plate or a tray to place the Mochi as the Mochi will start to melt once you start heating it up.
3. Boil water in a pot which you will use to then boil the Mochi. Take it out of the oven before the surface starts to burn.
4. Put the Mochi into the boiling water and wait for a few minutes to make the Mochi more soft.
5. Mix the Kinako powder, salt and sugar as you wait for the Mochi to boil.
6. Pour the powder on the Mochi and make sure that the surface of the Mochi is evenly covered.
Other recommended recipes
If this is the kind of dish you like, we have compiled some a list of dishes that you might also like for your next cooking session below.
Annin Tofu (杏仁豆腐)
Annin Tofu (杏仁豆腐) is a delicious dessert which originated from China. While it has “Tofu” in the name of the dessert, it is made with Apricot Kernel milk and sugar and is not related to Tofu. (It is called “Tofu” most likely because of the shape looks somewhat similar to Tofu).
Karaage (唐揚げ)
Karaage (唐揚げ) is a very dish which is considered one Japan’s comfort food and it is essentially the Japanese equivalent of fried chicken in the west.
Teriyaki (照り焼き)
Teriyaki (照り焼き) is one of the more well known Japanese dishes in the west. While there are many fake “Japanese dishes” being served or fake recipes that are far from how it is actually supposed to taste like, the western version of Teriyaki is actually not too far from what it is supposed to taste like.
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