Ichigo daifuku
Strawberry mochi
Ichigo daifuku (苺大福): soft mochi around a whole strawberry and sweet bean paste
Ichigo daifuku appeared in Tokyo sweet shops in the 1980s and quickly became the treat everyone queues for from January to April, when Japanese strawberries are at their best. A whole berry is wrapped in smooth sweet bean paste, then in a thin skin of soft, stretchy mochi, so you get juicy fruit, earthy sweetness and a pillowy chew in one bite. Mochi is very sticky: cut it into small pieces for young children and older people, and make sure they chew well and eat sitting down. The common mistake is wrapping a damp strawberry, which makes the bean paste slide and the mochi split; dry the berries completely. Chef's tip: microwave the mochi dough in short bursts and stir hard between them, until it turns translucent and elastic, rather than in one long blast.
- Total time
- 36 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the filling
- 6 strawberriesmedium, hulled and patted dry
For the mochi
- 3 ½ oz shiratamako (glutinous rice flour)or mochiko
- 1 ⅜ oz sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 oz potato starchfor dusting
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Divide 6 ½ oz smooth sweet red bean paste (koshian) into 6 balls of 30 g. Flatten each one in your palm, set one of the 6 strawberries tip-up in the centre and wrap the paste around it, leaving the very tip showing. Chill while you make the mochi.
Step 2: Whisk 3 ½ oz shiratamako (glutinous rice flour), 1 ⅜ oz sugar and ½ cup water in a microwave-safe bowl until completely smooth.
Step 3: Cover loosely and microwave on high for 1 minute, then stir hard with a wet spatula. Repeat twice more in 1-minute then 30-second bursts, stirring each time, until the dough is glossy, translucent and very stretchy.
3 minStep 4: Dust a tray generously with 1 oz potato starch and tip the hot dough onto it. Dust the top, then cut into 6 pieces with a starched scraper.
Step 5: While still warm, flatten one piece into a 9 cm round, put a strawberry ball in the centre tip-down, and stretch the mochi up and around it, pinching to seal underneath. Brush off excess starch.
Step 6: Eat the same day, at room temperature; the mochi hardens in the fridge. Cut in half to show the strawberry.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 43 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ichigo daifuku take?
- About 36 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 6 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of strawberries?
- Raspberries, blueberries or chopped peaches, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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