Sakura mochi
Cherry leaf rice cakes
Sakura mochi (桜餅): pink glutinous rice cakes in salted cherry leaves, Kansai (dōmyōji) style
When the cherry trees bloom in late March, every wagashi shop in Japan fills its window with sakura mochi. In the Kansai region around Osaka and Kyoto they are made from coarse dōmyōji-ko, steamed and crushed glutinous rice, tinted soft pink and wrapped around bean paste, then tucked into a salted cherry leaf that perfumes it with an almond-like, floral scent; Tokyo's version is a thin pink crêpe instead. 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 not soaking the salted leaves, so the mochi tastes too salty; rinse and soak them for 15 minutes. Chef's tip: the leaf is edible, and eating it with the mochi gives the sweet-salty balance the dish is famous for.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- ¾ cup water
- 1 oz sugar
- 1 drop red or pink food colouringplant-based
- 8 salted cherry blossom leavesrinsed and soaked for 15 minutes
- 8 salted cherry blossoms (optional)soaked, for decoration
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Divide 7 oz smooth sweet red bean paste (koshian) into 8 balls of 25 g. Pat 8 salted cherry blossom leaves dry.
Step 2: Mix ¾ cup water with 1 drop red or pink food colouring until pale pink, then stir in 5 ½ oz dōmyōji-ko (coarse glutinous rice) and 1 oz sugar and leave to soak for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Cover the bowl loosely and microwave on high for 3 minutes, stir, then 2 minutes more; or steam for 20 minutes. The grains should be swollen, glossy and sticky.
5 minStep 4: Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 10 minutes.
Step 5: With wet hands, divide into 8, flatten each into a round, set a bean ball in the middle and close the rice around it, rolling into a neat oval.
Step 6: Wrap each in a cherry leaf, vein side outwards, and top with one of the 8 salted cherry blossoms. Eat the same day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sakura mochi take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 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 sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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