Sakura Mochi: Cherry Blossom Rice Cake

Get a style of Japan with this selfmade sakura mochi recipe! It’s good for cherry blossom season and actually captures the essence of springtime with its refined pink hue and delicate cherry blossom flavour. This iconic deal with is commonly loved throughout particular events reminiscent of Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) and Hinamatsuri (Woman’s Day). However we are able to simply make sakura mochi at residence to eat anytime and have a scrumptious and fairly deal with all yr spherical!  

What’s Sakura Mochi (桜餅)?

Sakura mochi is a conventional Japanese confectionery that’s sometimes loved in the course of the spring season when cherry blossoms (sakura) are in bloom. It’s a preferred deal with to eat when celebrating Woman’s Day “Hinamatsuri” or for cherry blossom viewing known as “Hanami”. It consists of a candy pink oval form rice cake crammed with azuki pink bean paste (anko) and wrapped in a pickled sakura leaf. The color of the rice muffins for this recipe comes from beetroot to get a pink tint naturally giving it a fantastic and delicate look paying homage to the cherry blossoms. These fairly mochi treats have a comfortable and chewy texture with a bit extra chunk to them and a novel salty-sweet style. They’re a must-try for any Japanese dessert lovers!

Types of Sakura Mochi

There are two fundamental kinds of Sakura mochi in Japan coming from completely different areas – the Kansai area (western) together with Osaka, Kyoto and the Kanto area (japanese) which incorporates Tokyo. Every variation has its personal distinctive traits and flavours. 

Kansai-style sakura mochi is a candy made by wrapping pink bean paste in steamed and coarsely floor mochi rice known as domyojiko. Kansai-style sakura mochi is subsequently often known as Dōmyōji mochi because it makes use of domyojiko which was created at Dōmyōji temple in Osaka. 

Kansai type sakura mochi combines the chewy texture of Dōmyōji flour and the mild sweetness of tsubuan (coarse azuki bean paste) with the scent of cherry blossom leaves.

Then again, Kanto-style sakura mochi is a crepe-like dough constituted of wheat flour and shiratamako, wrapped over koshian clean strained azuki bean paste. It has the identical cherry blossom flavour as Kansai type and can also be wrapped in a sakura leaf however the general texture is completely different.

Each variations of Sakura mochi are equally scrumptious and beloved by many Japanese individuals throughout hanami (cherry blossom viewing) season.

What Most important Elements do I Want for Kansai Model?

Since I’m from the Kansai area, I’m extra accustomed to Kansai type sakura mochi. So that is the recipe for the sakura mochi that I grew up consuming. 

Making it authentically, we’d like Domyoji-ko (道明寺粉), ‘Anko’ candy azuki bean paste, and cherry blossom leaves and flowers. Nonetheless, I perceive that when most of us stay outdoors of Japan sure elements are exhausting to get. So we must be artistic to make Japanese issues with the out there elements.

Dōmyōjiko

This can be a particular kind of glutinous rice flour that varieties the bottom of the mochi dough. It provides the mochi its chewy texture and barely candy style. Dōmyōjiko is steamed glutinous rice that’s dried and made into coarsely crushed rice flour. One of these rice flour is just not available outdoors of Japan, so we are able to substitute it with a really sticky kind of rice known as mochigome ‘candy rice’ or short-grain glutinous rice.

Dōmyōjiko Substitution

The glutinous or mochigome rice must be soaked in a bowl of water in a single day or a minimal of 1 hour if you’re in a rush (course of photograph 1). Then the soaking water is drained and pulsed a number of instances in a meals processor to crush the rice grain coarsely (course of photograph 2 & 3).

Crimson bean paste (anko)

This candy pink bean paste constituted of azuki beans is used as a filling for sakura mochi. Tsubuan coarse azuki bean paste is used within the Kansai area, however if you happen to favor clean pink bean paste which is named koshi-an, you need to use it too. You should purchase ready-made candy pink bean paste to make Anko balls from Asian or Japanese supermarkets. Nonetheless, Anko will be made simply from scratch following my candy pink bean paste recipe.

Pickled cherry blossom leaf

These preserved leaves add a refined floral flavour to the mochi and are a vital a part of this conventional dessert. These stunning pink cherry blossom petals are preserved in salt water brine to provide them a tangy taste that enhances the sweetness of the mochi and anko azuki bean paste. Additionally they add a stunning ornamental contact to the completed dessert. Salted Sakura Cherry Leaf, and salted cherry flower can be found on-line.

Beetroot juice

To realize the pink hue of the mochi, the rice must be colored. You should utilize pink meals coloring; nonetheless, to make it more healthy and all-natural I used beetroot juice. It doesn’t have an effect on the flavour in any approach so that you received’t style it in any respect.

Step-by-step directions making Sakura mochi

It’s comparatively simple to make, however it is advisable to begin to put together an evening earlier than. It is advisable make Anko balls (candy pink bean paste made into balls) and begin to soak the rice the night time earlier than.

Evening Earlier than : Make anko paste if you’re making from scratch following my recipe. 

1. Drain the soaked rice and blitz it in a meals processor. Then steam the rice for about half-hour (Course of photograph 2 & 3). You may inform when it’s cooked as a result of the rice grain coloration turns into clear. 

2. Whereas the rice is being steamed, put together the pink-coloured candy water (Course of photograph 7 & 8). 

3. When the steamed rice is completed, switch the rice into the pink colored water to soak (Course of photograph 11 & 12).

4. Assembling : Divide the rice into 6 parts. Place 1/6 of the cooked rice on plastic wrap brushed with syrup (Course of photograph 15). Flatten the rice right into a spherical form with a spatula (Course of photograph 16). Place one of many Anko balls on the middle and wrap the Anko ball with rice (Course of photograph 17 & 18). Take away the plastic wrap and wrap it with a sakura leaf (Course of photograph 19). Wrap in order that the leaf vein is on the surface, which is prettier. Prime with a sakura flower bud (optionally available).

Ideas for Perfecting Your Sakura Mochi Creations

In order for you good sakura mochi, listed here are some suggestions that will help you make them much more scrumptious.

1. Use high-quality elements: To make sure the perfect flavour and texture to your sakura mochi, use high-quality elements. 

2. The bottom line is to work with the dough whereas it’s barely scorching, as it’s going to develop into tough to deal with because it cools. *Watch out to not get burned.

3. When rolling out the dough, make the perimeters just a little thinner than the middle in order that while you wrap the strained pink bean paste, the dough is not going to get too thick on the closed finish and can come out neatly. 

4. Wrap fastidiously: When wrapping your sakura mochi in pickled cherry blossom leaves, watch out to not tear or injury them. The leaves add a novel taste and perfume to the mochi, so deal with them gently.

Serving and Having fun with Your Selfmade Sakura Mochi

Pair sakura mochi with a cup of matcha for a basic mixture that completely steadiness one another. 

Hojicha is one other kind of Japanese tea that may go nice with sakura mochi. The toasty notes of hojicha carry out the refined sweetness of the sakura mochi.

For a refreshing possibility, get pleasure from your sakura mochi with mugicha (barley tea). This tea is often loved chilled/iced so it’s your best option for hotter Spring days.

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