Pink Cherry Blossom Rice Cake — Sakura Mochi
Japan's most beloved spring wagashi, a pink-tinted sweet rice cake filled with smooth azuki paste and wrapped in a fragrant salt-pickled cherry blossom leaf.
Japanese
Categories
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
For 2 servings
Instructions
Prep
Soak 2 salt-pickled cherry blossom leaves in cold water 20 minutes, changing water once, then pat dry. Divide 60g koshi-an into 2 × 30g balls. Combine 50g domyojiko, 13g sugar, 67ml water, and 1 drop pink food colouring in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring until evenly coloured.
Bake
Microwave the rice mixture on high 1 to 1.5 minutes, stir thoroughly, then microwave 30 seconds to 1 minute further until rice grains are fully cooked, tender, and mixture holds together when pressed.
Stuff
While rice cools slightly, wet your hands with cold water. Flatten each of the 2 rice portions into an 8cm oval disc. Place one koshi-an ball in the centre of each disc, wrap rice around filling, and press gently into a smooth oval log shape.
Wrap
Lay one cherry blossom leaf smooth-side down. Place a filled mochi across its centre and fold the leaf up and around completely, encasing it. Repeat with the remaining mochi.
Rest and plate
Let wrapped mochi rest 20 minutes at room temperature to allow leaf fragrance to infuse. Garnish each with a salt-pickled cherry blossom and serve at room temperature.
Recipes use AI and Edamam. Always check for allergens before cooking. Spotted something wrong—email us at hello@grubplanit.com.