We enjoy various types of mochi rice cakes in Japan, especially for Japanese New Year. In this recipe, you’ll learn how to prepare at home the three most popular flavors of mochi—kinako (roasted soybean flour), isobeyaki (soy sauce with nori), and anko (sweet red bean paste).
After I shared my recipe for the Japanese New Year mochi soup called Ozoni, I received a lot of feedback from my readers about the mochi that I added to this savory soup. They were surprised that I added it because they believe that mochi is a sweet food. That made me realize that Japanese and non-Japanese think of mochi quite differently.
In this post, I’ll explain the difference between sweet mochi and plain mochi. I’ll also introduce you to three delicious and easy ways to enjoy plain mochi at home. These are the classic ways that Japanese households prepare this traditional food that highlight mochi’s best qualities. I hope you enjoy trying them all!
Table of Contents
Plain Mochi vs. Daifuku
When you hear the word “mochi,” you might think of the round confectionery that’s stuffed with a sweet filling. It could be a traditional red bean paste or white bean paste with or without green tea flavor, or a filling with modern flavors like chocolate, strawberry, and mango. In Japan, we usually call that type of sweet mochi daifuku.
When we say “mochi” in Japan, it usually implies plain mochi that’s either freshly made or packaged and purchased at supermarkets.
What is Mochi?
Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made of mochigome (糯米), a short-grain japonica glutinous rice. The cooked rice is pounded into a paste. Then, the hot paste is molded into desired shapes such as round-shaped cakes called maru mochi. It has a sticky, chewy texture and hardens as it cools.
In Japanese cooking, we use freshly made mochi for either a savory dish or sweet treat. For savory dishes, we add plain mochi to a soup like Ozoni, hot udon noodle soup such as Chikara Udon, and Okonomiyaki. For sweet snacks and desserts, make it into Mochi Ice Cream, Zenzai (Sweet Red Bean Soup), Strawberry Daifuku, and more.
Making fresh mochi from glutinous rice takes a lot of time and effort, so most families don’t make it from scratch anymore. If we want to enjoy freshly pounded mochi, we usually attend a mochi pounding event. To make it fresh at home, some folks buy a Japanese mochi pounding machine for this task; some Japanese bread makers have a mochi-pounding option, too. We can also make mochi with a stand mixer.
Convenient Kiri Mochi for Home Use
When we eat mochi at home, we buy kiri mochi (切り餅, sometimes kirimochi) from the grocery store. This plain mochi is dried, cut into blocks, and individually packaged in plastic bags. It’s a shelf-stable product that you can keep in the pantry for a convenient mochi snack anytime of year as well as during the Japanese New Year.
Each family cooks the mochi differently. My family in Japan loves crispy toasted mochi rather than boiled mochi, so we always toast it first before flavoring it. You can also grill it over an open flame to make yakimochi. Others will pan fry the mochi to grill it. Read the notes section of the recipe for microwaving and boiling methods.
Today, I’ll show you the 3 most popular recipes to enjoy mochi using kirimochi:
- Anko mochi (餡子餅) – sweet red bean paste stuffed inside the mochi.
- Kinako mochi (きな粉餅) – mochi coated with a roasted soybean flour (kinako) and sugar mixture.
- Isobeyaki (磯辺焼き) – mochi coated in a soy sauce and sugar mixture and wrapped with nori seaweed. Most people prefer it without sugar, but my family always adds it. I assume this is based on a family’s preference and not on regional differences.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- plain Japanese rice cake (mochi) – kiri mochi; you can also use warm, fresh Homemade Mochi and skip toasting)
For the Kinako Mochi
- kinako (roasted soybean flour)
- sugar
- hot water
For the Isobeyaki
- soy sauce
- sugar – optional
- nori (dried laver seaweed) – I use the seasoned type called ajitsuke nori
For the Anko Mochi
- sweet red bean paste (anko) – use store-bought or make homemade in a pot on the stove or with a pressure cooker
How To Make Three Flavors of Mochi at Home
- Toast the mochi in a toaster oven until puffed up and slightly golden brown, about 10 minutes. You can also pan-fry, boil it in the water, or microwave.
- Gently smash the puffed mochi with your hand. Next, dress your mochi with roasted soybean flour, soy sauce, and sweet red bean paste.
- For kinako mochi, mix the kinako and sugar. Dip the mochi in hot water and dredge in the kinako mixture.
- For isobeyaki, mix the soy sauce and sugar and quickly soak the mochi, then wrap with nori.
- For anko mochi, stuff the smashed mochi with a scoop of anko.
Which is your favorite? When I was growing up, I couldn’t pick just one. For Japanese New Year’s Day, I used to eat six pieces of mochi—two in ozoni, two anko, one kinako, and one isobeyaki. I wish I was young again so I could eat six pieces of mochi in one sitting without worrying about increasing my waistline!
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How To Enjoy Japanese Mochi
Video
Ingredients
- 3 pieces Japanese rice cake (mochi) (plain Japanese rice cakes; you can also use warm, fresh Homemade Mochi and skip toasting)
For the Kinako Mochi (Roasted Soybean Flour)
- 2 Tbsp kinako (roasted soybean flour)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 cup hot water
For the Isobeyaki (Soy Sauce)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar (optional; some people eat isobeyaki without sugar, but my family always makes it with sugar)
- 2 sheets nori (dried laver seaweed) (I use seasoned nori called ajitsuke nori)
For the Anko Mochi (Sweet Red Bean Paste)
- 1 Tbsp sweet red bean paste (anko) (use store bought or make homemade Anko and Pressure Cooker Anko)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Place 3 pieces Japanese rice cake (mochi) in a toaster oven and toast until puffed up and slightly golden brown, about 10 minutes. You can also pan-fry, boil it in the water, or microwave. For microwaving, put a mochi in a bowl, add water to cover it, and microwave. If you use warm, fresh Homemade Mochi, skip the toasting step and move on to the flavoring step.
- Once the mochi pieces are puffed up, gently smash them with your hand. From here, dress your mochi with roasted soybean flour, soy sauce, and sweet red bean paste.
To Make the Kinako Mochi (Roasted Soybean Flour)
- Mix together 2 Tbsp kinako (roasted soybean flour) and 1 Tbsp sugar in a bowl. Prepare a small bowl with 1 cup hot water.
- Dip the smashed mochi in the hot water, then dredge in the kinako mixture.
To Make the Isobeyaki (Soy Sauce with Nori)
- Mix together 2 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 Tbsp sugar in a bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds to dissolve the sugar.
- Briefly soak the smashed mochi completely in the soy sauce and sugar mixture. Then, wrap with 2 sheets of seasoned ajitsuke nori (dried laver seaweed).
To Make the Anko Mochi (Sweet Red Bean Paste)
- Pull the smashed mochi from both sides and wrap it around a 1 Tbsp scoop of anko (sweet red bean paste). It’s sticky, so be careful when handling.
To Serve
- Serve the mochi immediately while warm.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on January 19, 2015. The post has been published in December 2021.
Do these mochi have to be eaten fresh ? I want to make them for party treats, wonder if I can make it a day before.
Hi Wendy! Yes, this type of mochi has to be eaten right away. Once it becomes cold it will become hard and tough. Dessert mochi can last longer and stay softer because it has sugar in it. But not this kind…
Yes, you hit the nail on the head! Americans only seem to know of daifuku mochi, which is aggressively marketed as just “mochi” here in the US. They even have a freezer full of ice cream mochi at Whole Foods now where you can buy them a la cart for $2 each. Yikes!
Your recipe taught me these great and easy ways to enjoy mochi! I made all three! My favorite was anko mochi. Isobeyaki mochi was my second favorite. Finally, kinako mochi was also very nice!
I would eat anko mochi as dessert or snack, Isobeyaki mochi as a snack or appetizer, and kinako mochi would be delicious with tea!
Kiri mochi is my favorite part of oden… I put them in inariage for oden instead of aburaage because I am terrible and like them sweet. XD
Do you have a favorite now from the three in this recipe?
Hi Lion! When Japanese people hear mochi, first thing in our mind is this mochi we eat in new years, not the sweet kind as we have different names (such as daifuku mochi, dango, etc), but anything similar texture is considered “mochi” in the US. I guess it’s a good that people start to even recognize what mochi is. 🙂 But it’s more work to correct them saying “no, that’s not what we consider ‘mochi’ in Japan”…. LOL.
Yeah mochi ice cream is pretty popular and I feel it’s even more popular here than Japan. It’s interesting.
So happy you liked all three kinds. This is the 3 kinds that you’ll always see. Some people make variations. I like cheese and soy sauce combination, but I didn’t share it in this post because the Japanese processed cheese has different taste from cheese available in the US. I tried with swiss cheese, but it’s not the same… basically you sandwich cheese with mochi (like anko) and dip in soy sauce, then wrap with nori. My dad’s favorite and it’s my favorite too. I used to eat 6 mochi on 3 days of New Years. 2 anko, 2 for Ozoni, one kinako, and one cheese/soy sauce. You know how much I love mochi even when I was small. I can’t pick a few, so I end up with 6 mochi and eat less on main dish (Osechi). For the record, I only eat that much mochi for the new years… 😀
Me too, my son and I love aburaage & mochi! Thank you Lion!
Hi! I just bought some of the hard mochi cakes to use for a Girl Scout event about Japan. I want to boil them to make them soft for the girls to try it at the event. I appreciate your recipe and ideas of how to flavor it for them!! I do have a questions – how long will it stay soft after it is boiled. I may have to prep this ahead of time and hoping it doesn’t harden back up before the event.
Thanks!!
Hi Linda! Unfortunately mochi is something that you HAVE TO eat when it’s just cooked… to enjoy what mochi is all about – that elastic, springy, chewy, mochi-like texture (there is no word for it in English), you have to cook and eat right away. Otherwise, it’s very unpleasant. Just chewy, hard, rice block. Will stay soft for… maybe 10-15 minutes? If you can use a portable pot (boiling) or microwave, you can cook right before you pass the food. Otherwise… this kind of mochi is not meant to be served after. Dessert mochi stays soft because mochi includes lots of sugar. Hope this helps!
Hi Nami,
Thank you for the reply. Sadly it is not the answer I was hoping for. I don’t know if we will have access to an electrical outlet in order to take items to prep the mochi right there or not.
One other thing we found was similar – Sanshoku Dango – which seems to be colored mochi wrapped around red bean paste. They are in small balls that do stay soft and I could cut them into pieces to serve. We also found Kashiwa Mochi – sticky rice cakes wrapped around red bean paste and then wrapped in an oak leaf. That mochi also seems to stay soft and sticky. I may just go with one of those.
We were also planning to play a video of a mochi pounding – so we were looking for the sticky rice that comes from the pounding.
Anyway, thank you again for the response!!
Hi Linda! I am so sorry. The sweeten mochi (made with sugar) tend to last longer for 2-3 days, and it’s perfect for events like yours. I don’t have Sanshoku Dango recipe (I should make it…), but here is my dango and other sweet mochi recipe.
Dango: https://www.justonecookbook.com/mitarashi-dango/
Kashiwa Mochi: https://www.justonecookbook.com/kashiwa-mochi/
Sakura Mochi: https://www.justonecookbook.com/sakura-mochi/
My recommendation is
Warabi mochi: https://www.justonecookbook.com/warabi-mochi/
Daifuku: https://www.justonecookbook.com/daifuku/
Strawberry Daifuku: https://www.justonecookbook.com/strawberry-daifuku/
I recommend practicing ahead of time, at least once. Mochi is sticky, and if you don’t know what to expect, it can be a disaster…. so practice run really helps!
How do you store mochi? I recently made mochi myself (actually I jsut made it right now!!!) and I was wondering: Should I put it in the fridge? Should I wrap it in cellophane and leave it in my kitchen cabinets? so please, even though I know you uploaded this AGES ago, Could you please answer?
Hi Thomas! The best way is to freeze them. It gets moldy when you keep it in the fridge/room temp. I highly recommend to wrap with plastic and place it in airtight bag or container. 🙂
Hi Nami!!!
I love your website and your vídeos, you’re a great cook!! I think your post about mochi is wonderful, really informative for people that don’t know the different types there are, can’t believe I just saw it.
In my home there’s always freshly made mochi around new year, it has to be made with a pounding machine, since we can’t find packaged ones. My personal favorite is kinako mochi, although I usually don’t soak it in hot water, doesn’t it lose its crispiness???
Also I’d like to ask you, do you have a recipe for Manjū??? Those little steamed buns filled with anko, I love them, but I’ve never know how to make them.
Thanks for all your great work Nami!!!
Best wishes!!!
Hi Kokichi! Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed reading this post. 🙂 I’m so jealous that you make fresh mochi every near years. I grew up in the city (in Japan) where no one owns a usu and kine so unless there is a mochi pounding event, I don’t get to eat fresh one! I hope this tradition will keep going…
I don’t completely “soak” in the water, but make the surface of mochi wet so kinako will be attached. If you have a fresh mochi, you don’t have to because everywhere is sticky. Unfortunately, with kiri mochi, only inside is sticky…
I added Manju recipe on my list. Thank you!
Aloha!
We grew up eating fried mochi in these styles as well. One thing we never tried was taking it along in our obento. They are so delicious that they get eaten so quick. Have you ever packed them up in obento? If so, how long before they get too hard to eat?
Mahalo nui!
Aloha JoAnna! We don’t really put it in obento because mochi should be eaten right after toasted. It gets so hard once it’s cooled and it doesn’t taste good (or we are not supposed to eat like that). At least the mochi that’s harden and toasted. It’s okay with more like daifuku-style mochi though. Since it has sugar inside the mochi, it stays softer. Hope this makes sense. I highly recommend eating this mochi (shared in this post) in less than 15 minutes! 😀
Isobeyaki made with sugar! My favorite way to eat mochi!
Hi Tina! Yay! It’s so delicious. As a variation of Isobeyaki, have you tried sandwiching cheese? I know it might sound crazy but it’s one of popular variations in Japan too… 😀
I came across this by searching for Japanese rice cakes. I love all I have read!! I am half Japanese and love mochi but not sure where to get some. Before my mom passed, she always found some about 150 miles from here. I lived in Japan for almost a 4 years when I was young.
Hi Irene! Thank you so much for your kind words! Japanese grocery stores should carry mochi (kiri mochi) especially this time of season. I don’t think it’s easy to find in Asian supermarkets as it’s very specific to Japanese food. Hope you can find kiri mochi and enjoy eating mochi! 🙂
Thank you for such a good recipe, we like to put kirimochi in waffle maker! And top it with some berry sauce! That is so delicious)
Hi Sasha! I haven’t tried making mochi in waffle maker! I will give it a try! 😀
My parents had one of those electric pounding machines and would make lots of Mochi to give to relatives on New Years as gifts. Now I make do with the precut ones.
Hi Julie! I’m jealous! It’s so nice to have the “just pounded” mochi…. the best mochi!!! I wish we can do monthly mochitsuki party. 😀
Love mochi!!! Love kiri mochi. I have a little grill type thing I use on the stovetop to heat them up. I love when they poof up..then dunking them in the sauce just makes me happy! 🙂 Love mochi and red bean paste too. Now I want some. 😀
Thank you Patty! We can have a mochi party and definitely can finish a whole pack of mochi together. 😀
Thanks for the recipe! I’ve seen kiri mochi at my local Asian supermarket and found it strange that they come in block form, like soap :p Looking forward to try this recipe : )
Hi Catherine! Haha now you know how we use it. We have round shape mochi too. It used to be round (handmade) but with machine, square was easier to cut… so now we have both shapes. 🙂
Our family makes isobeyaki by pan frying the mochi in butter, instead of toasting, before putting it in the shoyu/sugar sauce. I also love mochi in a grated daikon (white radish) and shoyu sauce.
Hi Rochelle! A lot of people make it in the frying pan too! Ohhh Oroshi Mochi! I like i t too, but it’s very refreshing and I can eat more than I should. 🙂
Our family eats mochi roasted, as you described, and then dipped in shoyu only, no sugar, then wrapped in toasted nori. We are Japanese Americans. My family is originally from Odawara. Is that why? My husband’s family is from Hiroshima, and they like it sweet. My extended family, when we have mochitsuki, has two bowls of shoyu out for dipping the freshly made mochi into–one labeled “shoyu” and the other “in-laws”! The in-laws all like the sugar mixture. Is it a regional thing, or is my family just odd?
Hi Susan! Some people add sugar to soy sauce but I believe majority of people just dip in soy sauce only for Isobeyaki. I am not sure why or who in my family started soy sauce and sugar. 🙂 Unlike ozoni, I believe it’s not based on the region but it depends on family’s preference. The “in-laws” label is too funny!!
Hi there!~
My family and I really like mochi, so my mom searched up mochi recipes on youtube and came up with her own. She uses a microwave and it comes out just as delicious as the traditional ones! We use chocolate chips and peanuts instead of red bean. I brought them to school once and everyone loved it!
Emily
Hi Emily! Yes microwave method is very easy but I feel like mochi gets harder soon (if we don’t eat right away). I have to try chocolate chip and peanuts with mochi! That sounds like a nice dessert mochi. 🙂 Thank you for sharing!!
I have to make my own mochi to do this. All the recipes use a 2:1 (roughly) ratio of sugar to rice flour (if using the flour method) to make it. But this seems like it should be largely savory. Is it just flour and water- no sugar?
Hi Stephany,
Nami’s mochi for this recipe is no sugar added.
If you are interested in making Homemade mochi from sweet rice, here is the recipe for you! It has more texture than made with rice flour.🙂https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-make-mochi-with-a-stand-mixer/