Joshinko is fine flour made of Japanese short-grain rice. Use it for wagashi, such as dango, some mochi desserts, and zenzai.
Joshinko (上新粉), also known as Komeko (米粉, literally “rice flour”), is Japanese rice flour made of uruchimai (粳米), regular Japanese short-grain rice. The rice is milled first, washed, soaked, drained, ground finely in water, and dried.
Table of contents
What Is Joshinko
Joshinko is a fine rice powder made of Japanese short-grain, the same rice eaten at meals. It’s a gluten-free flour for dango, Kashiwa Mochi, kusa mochi (草餅), gyuhi (求肥), Zenzai (Oshiruko), and rice crackers. When used to make wagashi, the mochi/dumplings are chewy and doughy in texture compared to Shiratamako.
What Does It Taste Like
It has a mildly sweet taste, similar to short-grain rice.
Difference between Japanese rice flours
There are different types of Japanese rice flour, each with its own characteristics and textures.
- Mochiko (餅粉): AKA Japanese sweet rice flour, it consists of glutinous short-grain rice (mochi rice 餅米)
- Shiratamako (白玉粉): AKA sweet rice flour, it consists of glutinous short-grain rice (mochi rice 餅米) that undergoes a special processing called the wet meal method. It’s much more expensive than mochiko and has a more refined flavor and springy texture.
- Joshinko (上新粉): made of Japanese short-grain rice for eating (uruchimai 粳米)
Recipes Using Joshinko
Where To Buy
Find it at Japanese and Asian grocery stores.
How To Store
Store in a cool and dark place, away from humidity and direct sunlight.
Substitutions
You can substitute it with mochiko or shiratamako. However, these rice flours are made with glutinous/sticky rice, resulting in a chewy mochi-like texture.
Although tempting, do not use long-grain rice flour or rice flour from other Asian countries. The texture and flavor are not suitable for Japanese sweets. Please use the appropriate flour to respect the food culture.
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