Japanese Mochi

Mochi is a sweet, traditional Japanese treat made from mochigome, a short-grain glutinous rice. While mochi can be enjoyed on its own, it often contains a sweet filling on its inside such as red bean paste, roasted soy bean flour or fruit.

Traditionally, the glutinous rice is soaked, steamed, and then hammered into a paste - using a wooden mallet and pestle - before being shaped into spheres or cubes.

The result is an irresistible chewy, soft and sweet dough with a unique texture that's both delightfully dense and sticky.

During Japanese New Year it is tradition for the community to attend a special mochi making ceremony known as "mochitsuki".

Mochi has a unique soft and chewy texture as well as a subtle sweet taste that allows the fillings on its inside to shine through. It's a real joy to eat which is why it's so loved in Japan and increasingly, around the world. Despite being sweet, mochi is not overly sugary.

Mochi can be eaten in plenty of different ways including as a snack, as a dessert or as an ingredient in several Japanese dishes.

Some of the most traditional fillings include anko (sweetened red bean paste), kinako (roasted soybean flour), and even fresh fruits.

Mochi is also found as an ingredient in many Japanese dishes, including zoni, a soup that's traditionally eaten during the Japanese New Year, and zenzai, a type of red bean soup.

In recent years, mochi's popularity has grown to all parts of the world, resulting in several new exciting variants. One of the most popular is mochi ice cream, where a small ball of ice cream is used as a filling. This provides a delightful contrast of textures: the chewy, sweet outside dough providing an scintillating contrast to its ice, cold filling.