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Made with glutinous rice and pink bean paste, these Japanese Candy Rice Balls are provided to at least one’s ancestors and eaten throughout the spring and autumn equinoxes in Japan. They’re referred to as Botamochi in spring and Ohagi in autumn.
Rising up in Japan, I bear in mind we had a whole lot of cultural, seasonal, and typically non secular celebrations that usually include particular meals.
Ohagi or Botamochi is a kind of particular meals we loved throughout spring and autumn equinoxes yearly. They’re candy rice balls crammed or coated with pink bean paste. At the moment, I’ll share little cultural tidbits of this conventional candy together with the recipe!
What’s Ohagi (Botamochi)?
These candy rice balls are normally made with glutinous rice, typically rice, and pink bean paste.
The rice balls are shaped into the form of a small cylinder and coated with pink bean paste on the surface. There are additionally variations the place the rice balls are coated with sweetened soybean flour or sweetened floor black sesame and filled with pink bean paste on the within.
They’re generally eaten throughout Ohigan (お彼岸), a Buddhist vacation throughout each spring and autumn equinoxes.
Botamochi vs. Ohagi
You’ve most likely seen that I hold calling these candy rice balls with two names – Ohagi and Botamochi. That’s as a result of we name these rice balls in a different way in spring and autumn.
In spring, they’re referred to as Botamochi (ぼたもち), named after the spring flower, botan (牡丹 peony).
In autumn, they’re referred to as Ohagi (おはぎ), named after the autumn flower, hagi (萩 bush clover).
Regionally, individuals could develop up calling it simply by one identify, however they’re basically the identify.
The best way to Make Ohagi (Botamochi)
In contrast to some mochi recipes on my weblog that require hard-to-find rice flour, this Ohagi (Botamochi) recipe is relatively easy. All you want is Japanese glutinous rice (please, use a short-grain selection), Japanese short-grain rice, and pink bean paste. Listed below are the three steps to make these rice balls:
- Cook dinner glutinous rice and rice – Cook dinner glutinous rice and rice collectively within the rice cooker (or no matter you utilize to cook dinner rice).
- Pound the rice – Partially pound the cooked rice.
- Form and fill the rice balls – Form the pounded rice into balls and coat them with pink bean paste. For the opposite two variations, fill the rice balls with candy pink bean paste and coat them with both sweetened soybean flour (kinako) or sweetened floor black sesame seeds.
5 Tricks to Make Ohagi (Botamochi)
1. Mix Glutinous Rice and Rice
Ohagi (Botacmochi) are sometimes made with solely glutinous rice (candy rice). Nonetheless, I don’t advocate utilizing simply glutinous rice as these candy rice balls get chilly or much less “recent”, the feel will change into arduous and never so chewy.
Mixing it with common rice helps to maintain the feel softer and chewier.
2. Pre-measure Anko (Crimson Bean Paste)
As soon as the cooked rice is pounded, it’s greatest to form it whereas the rice continues to be heat. For those who pre-measure the paste and roll it into balls forward of time, you possibly can simply seize the paste and stuff within the rice balls shortly.
3. Partially Pound the Rice
One of many distinctive options of Ohagi (Botamochi) is the noticeable rice texture if you chunk into it. In contrast to different comparable mochi sweets the place nice rice flours are used, the rice is pounded partially, not mashed or kneaded all the best way. This half-pounding approach is known as “Hangoroshi“, literary a half kill (半殺し).
4. Use Plastic Wrap to Thinly Unfold the Crimson Bean Paste
Plastic wrap helps tremendously when you want to unfold a skinny layer of pink bean paste across the rice balls. I’ve tried utilizing my naked hand as a substitute of plastic wrap, however I feel you want a whole lot of practices to make it look presentable.
5. Save and Reapply Black Sesame and Soybean Flour
Inside 10-Quarter-hour after you coat the rice balls with black sesame seeds and soybean flour, you’ll discover the colour of these Ohagi (Botamochi) get darker and spotty.
This occurs as a result of the moisture within the rice is launched to the coating. Subsequently, it’s greatest to maintain some coating and reapply it proper earlier than serving.
The best way to Retailer and Take pleasure in Ohagi
As they’re manufactured from each glutinous rice and rice, Ohagi isn’t appropriate to retailer within the fridge. The temperature will solely flip the rice balls arduous and lose the comfortable, chewy texture. Subsequently, it’s greatest to maintain them in a cool place and luxuriate in them as quickly as doable (half-day to 12 hours).
March could be cool, however September can nonetheless be heat and the meals could go dangerous quicker. In that case, I like to recommend storing them within the fridge however cowl the container with a thick towel to guard from chilly air. They need to be saved cool, ideally.
You may also freeze Ohagi for as much as 1 month. If you’re able to eat, defrost in a single day within the fridge.
To deliver again the perfect texture, Ohagi must be reheated gently within the microwave to heat or room temperature so that you can take pleasure in.
Ohagi (Botamochi) will not be so candy they usually go nicely with inexperienced tea. Though I don’t observe the non secular ceremony, I nonetheless make these for my household twice a yr across the spring and autumn equinox. In my home, meals tradition is fairly necessary and I hope my youngsters will bear in mind my candy Japanese rice balls twice a yr.
Different Seasonal Japanese Sweets
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Ohagi (Botamochi)
Made with glutinous rice and pink bean paste, these Japanese Candy Rice Balls are provided to at least one’s ancestors and eaten throughout the spring and autumn equinoxes in Japan. They’re referred to as Botamochi in spring and Ohagi in autumn.
Servings: 24 items (roughly 24-26)
Substances
For the Black Sesame Coating
For the Soybean Flour Coating
For the Crimson Bean Paste Filling and Coating
Stop your display screen from going darkish
Directions
To Put together the Glutinous Rice
To Put together the Coatings and Filling
To Make with Anko Filling
To Make with Anko Coating
To Retailer
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It’s greatest to maintain them in a cool place and luxuriate in them as quickly as doable (inside a half day or 12 hours). If it’s too heat to maintain at room temperature, I like to recommend storing them within the fridge, however cowl the container with a thick towel to guard the from chilly air. Ideally, they need to be saved cool. You may also freeze Ohagi for as much as 1 month. If you’re able to eat, defrost in a single day within the fridge. To deliver them again a super texture, Ohagi must be reheated gently within the microwave till heat or at room temperature so that you can take pleasure in.
Diet
Diet Info
Ohagi (Botamochi)
Quantity per Serving
% Each day Worth*
* % Each day Values are primarily based on a 2000 calorie weight loss program.
Editor’s Notice: This put up was initially printed on March 16, 2020. It was republished on March 11, 2024.
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