Sakura Mochi (Kansai-Style Cherry Blossom Rice Cakes)

Ingredients

• Glutinous Rice (Mochigome): Sakura Mochi is traditionally made with a type of rice “flour” called “Domyojiko” (道明寺粉). Domyojiko is a processed, granulated version of mochi rice and can be difficult to find, even in Japan. Instead, I will show you how to make sakura mochi using simple and accessiblemochi rice(affiliate link), also sometimes called “sweet rice” in English. This recipe only works with mochi rice so unfortunately can’t be substituted.
• Salted Cherry Blossom Leaves:One of the most iconic parts of sakura mochi is “sakura no ha no shiozuke” (桜の葉の塩漬け) or “salt-pickled cherry blossom leaf”. You can buy them here onAmazon US(affiliate), or you can omit them. If you’re interested in trying to make them youself, see below for instructions!
• Salted Cherry Blossom Flowers (optional): Sakura no hana no shiozuke (桜の花の塩漬け) or “pickled cherry blossom flowers” are mainly for decoration. They need to be soaked to remove the excess salt before being placed on top of the Sakura Mochi. You can purchase themhere on Amazon(affiliate) or simply omit them.
• White Sugar:To sweeten the rice, use white caster or granulated sugar.
• Pink Food Coloring:A few drops will give your Sakura Mochi that iconic shade of pink! If you prefer to use natural colorings, you could use a small amount of beet juice or raspberry juice (just be careful not to add too much to avoid altering the flavor).
• Smooth Red Bean Paste (Koshian):Sakura Mochi is always filled with red bean paste we call “anko”. The smooth type (koshian) is most common and you can buy ithere on Amazon(affiliate link) or make your own using myrecipe here.

Instructions

1. Place 150 g glutinous rice in a sieve over a bowl. Fill the bowl with water, gently swish the rice around and then drain, repeat 3 times to wash. Fill the bowl one more time and leave the rice to soak for 1 hour.
2. Soak 6 8 salted cherry blossom leaves in a bowl of cold water for 1 hour while the rice is soaking.
3. Roll 120 160 g smooth red bean paste (koshian) into equally sized balls, one for each sakura mochi (approx 20g / ¾ oz each). Store in the fridge until it's time to assemble.
4. After an hour, drain the water and let the rice dry for 5 10 minutes. If using a steamer, start heating your water.
5. Transfer the rice to a damp cheese cloth and loosely wrap it before lightly pounding it with a rolling pin to break it up. Aim for a texture similar to a very coarse sugar like turbinado.