Mochi is a delicious rice flour dough ball wrapped delicately around sweet bean paste- typically called Anko, Koshi or Adzuki, and is enjoyed by many across the Asian continent as a sweet dessert. To learn more and taste the sweetness for myself, I went to the Dragon Star Oriental Market to get a closer look (or lick). Here’s my findings based on how tasty they were.
Royal Family (Red Bean Mochi):
Royal Family Red Bean Japanese Mochi,inside of its vibrant box. Photo cutousy of http://www.royal-family.com.tw/eng/tasty-q-mochi/jap-red-bean.html
The Royal Family brand of Mochi has so much variety and diversity with their flavor combinations,that it can be hard to choose. They had green tea, strawberry, adzki, blueberry, durian, dragon fruit, and much more. I stuck with the red bean on this one and the simplicity was worth it. It was sweetly mild, the bean paste smooth and the flavor bursting through to compliment the rice dough. Altogether, 8/10.
Steamed Rice Cake:
Steamed Rice Cakes/Cow Cakes/Steamed Honeycomb Cakes or Banh Bo Hap, sitting on a plate. Photo courtasy of http://runawayrice.com/desserts/steamed-rice-cakescow-cakessteamed-honeycomb-cakes-banh-bo-hap/
Not technically Mochi, but it is made of rice and sweetness. The texture of these particular cakes was a rigidly solid cake you could sink your teeth into. The only drawback was the soapy aftertaste. Nothing if not refreshing 5/10.
Family Sweet Rice Cake Mochi:
Mochi Rice Cake, displaid in a family size 8pc. photo courtesy of http://chaosasianmarket.com/product/mochi-rice-cake-8pc-family/
I bought the exact same package as the pictured above, and these Mochi cakes were probably the better tasting of the batch I got. I highly recommend the Taro flavor, such a specific tasting sweetness left me wanting more. Smooth insides, some crunchy outsides, all together 9/10
Shirakiku Sanshoku Dango:
Shirakiku Japanese Rice Cake (Sanshoku Dango), the Red Bean Flavor (12.69oz), sitting in its styrofoam package. Photo courtesy of https://www.mercato.com/shop/sunrise-mart/item/shirakiku-japanese-rice-cake-sanshoku-dango-red-bean-flavor-1269oz/26101
These ones were the same flavor as the Royal Family Mochi (red bean paste), but had many subtle differences. The paste inside was not as smooth, allowing for more of the pure bean flavor to push through the rice dough. The texture was off-putting to me, but it’s otherwise a perfectly serviceable and delicious Mochi 7/10
Blueberry Duo Snowy Mooncake:
Blueberry Duo Snowy Mooncake, delicately sitting on a plate. Photo courtesy of http://says.com/my/lifestyle/funky-mooncake-flavours-you-didnt-know-about)
Do you like blueberry cheesecake? You might enjoy these snow skin cream cheese blueberry mooncakes.While still not technically Mochi, these sweet cakes are soft, pliant and the perfect snack cake to eat around the holidays. 8/10.
Yuki & Love Mochi:
Yuki & Love Japanese Rice Cake, Mochi Strawberry, in its vibrant box. Photo courtesy ofhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U9VZUH8/?tag=recipesfood-20&pcd=130417013430
Let’s save the worst for last, shall we? This Mochi was not an actual Mochi, but a marshmallowy traitor disguised as a soft and inviting, yet still pungent with the tastes of the factory mound, that you shove into your mouth. There’s no actual beans or bean paste in this, but rather a tangy ‘surprise’ of something in the middle. It tastes awkward, and it’s weird to have in and/or around your mouth. Worst of all, I had to eat 23 of these because I bought the thing on sale for 2.99. 2/10
Thank you for taking the time to explore these sensational desserts with me. If you’ll excuse me, I have to re-think my choice of buying and eating 6 different packages of Mochi.