As a Japanese-American with a mean sweet tooth, I am constantly on the hunt to find good-quality Japanese sweets (okashi). In this segment, スイーツタイムSweets Time, I will share with you my experiences of finding, making, and consuming Japanese sweets I find in America.
TODAY’S SWEET: Instant Warabi-mochi (蕨餅)
Warabi-mochi is a semi-sweet jelly covered in kinako, which is soybean flour, often mixed with sugar. The instant version of the confection is found in Japanese supermarkets available in America, and can be ordered online (Amazon). Of course, if ordered online the quality is questionable, so I always suggest the former.
While the “how-to-make” differs with every product, here is the general idea (Serving Size: About 6-10 People):
1. Fill ¼ of a large bowl with ice, and then ½ with water.
2. Fill a pot with (about)100 grams of Warabi-mochi powder, (about)40 grams of sugar, and (about)3 cups of water
3. Put this mixture on high heat and stir until clumps begin to form
4. Lower the heat to medium, and continue to stir until the mixture becomes a sticky, jelly-like substance
5. Scoop out this substance by the spoonful, and drop into the bowl of ice-water. The warabi-mochi will harden slightly
6. Drain the water
7. After dividing the finished Warabi-mochi per person, sprinkle a generous amount of ½ kinako ½ sugar mix
8. Enjoy! :d
TODAY’S SWEET: Instant Warabi-mochi (蕨餅)
Warabi-mochi is a semi-sweet jelly covered in kinako, which is soybean flour, often mixed with sugar. The instant version of the confection is found in Japanese supermarkets available in America, and can be ordered online (Amazon). Of course, if ordered online the quality is questionable, so I always suggest the former.
While the “how-to-make” differs with every product, here is the general idea (Serving Size: About 6-10 People):
1. Fill ¼ of a large bowl with ice, and then ½ with water.
2. Fill a pot with (about)100 grams of Warabi-mochi powder, (about)40 grams of sugar, and (about)3 cups of water
3. Put this mixture on high heat and stir until clumps begin to form
4. Lower the heat to medium, and continue to stir until the mixture becomes a sticky, jelly-like substance
5. Scoop out this substance by the spoonful, and drop into the bowl of ice-water. The warabi-mochi will harden slightly
6. Drain the water
7. After dividing the finished Warabi-mochi per person, sprinkle a generous amount of ½ kinako ½ sugar mix
8. Enjoy! :d
This sweet is refreshing, delicious, and filling, perfect to snack on during a hot summer day! It’s basically the Japanese version of Jell-O, with less artificial sweetener or coloring. It’s also easy to adjust the level of sweetness, by simply holding back on the amount of kinako you sprinkle on the confection. But beware; if the warabi-mochi is bad quality, then the texture can be sticky, powdery, and have the texture of a soft mushroom (I say this because mushrooms are my worst nightmare). So be careful what you buy!
I’ve loved eating warabi-mochi since I was a child. This is not only because it’s delicious and subtly sweet, but there are also multiple textures to it—it’s not your average jelly. There’s the firm, almost-chewy-but-not-quite warabi-mochi, and there’s the powdery kinako that adds a burst of near-crunchy, creamy sweetness. Pure delight after making and eating Warabi-mochi tonight.
From a satisfied,
justajae
I’ve loved eating warabi-mochi since I was a child. This is not only because it’s delicious and subtly sweet, but there are also multiple textures to it—it’s not your average jelly. There’s the firm, almost-chewy-but-not-quite warabi-mochi, and there’s the powdery kinako that adds a burst of near-crunchy, creamy sweetness. Pure delight after making and eating Warabi-mochi tonight.
From a satisfied,
justajae