Made with glutinous rice and purple bean paste, these Japanese Candy Rice Balls are provided to 1’s ancestors and eaten throughout the spring and autumn equinoxes in Japan. They’re referred to as Botamochi in spring and Ohagi in autumn.
Rising up in Japan, I bear in mind we had a number of cultural, seasonal, and typically non secular celebrations that always include particular meals.
Ohagi or Botamochi is a type of particular meals we loved throughout spring and autumn equinoxes yearly. They’re candy rice balls stuffed or coated with purple bean paste. At this time, I’ll share little cultural tidbits of this conventional candy together with the recipe!
What’s Ohagi (Botamochi)?
These candy rice balls are often made with glutinous rice, typically rice, and purple bean paste.
The rice balls are shaped into the form of a small cylinder and coated with purple bean paste on the skin. There are additionally variations the place the rice balls are coated with sweetened soybean flour or sweetened floor black sesame and filled with purple bean paste on the within.
They’re generally eaten throughout Ohigan (お彼岸), a Buddhist vacation throughout each spring and autumn equinoxes.
Botamochi vs. Ohagi
You’ve most likely observed that I preserve calling these candy rice balls with two names – Ohagi and Botamochi. That’s as a result of we name these rice balls in a different way in spring and autumn.
In spring, they’re referred to as Botamochi (ぼたもち), named after the spring flower, botan (牡丹 peony).
In autumn, they’re referred to as Ohagi (おはぎ), named after the autumn flower, hagi (萩 bush clover).
Regionally, individuals could develop up calling it simply by one identify, however they’re primarily the identify.
Find out how to Make Ohagi (Botamochi)
In contrast to some mochi recipes on my weblog that require hard-to-find rice flour, this Ohagi (Botamochi) recipe is slightly easy. All you want is Japanese glutinous rice (please, use a short-grain selection), Japanese short-grain rice, and purple bean paste. Listed below are the three steps to make these rice balls:
- Prepare dinner glutinous rice and rice – Prepare dinner glutinous rice and rice collectively within the rice cooker (or no matter you utilize to cook dinner rice).
- Pound the rice – Partially pound the cooked rice.
- Form and fill the rice balls – Form the pounded rice into balls and coat them with purple bean paste. For the opposite two variations, fill the rice balls with candy purple bean paste and coat them with both sweetened soybean flour (kinako) or sweetened floor black sesame seeds.
5 Tricks to Make Ohagi (Botamochi)
1. Mix Glutinous Rice and Rice
Ohagi (Botacmochi) are sometimes made with solely glutinous rice (candy rice). Nonetheless, I don’t suggest utilizing simply glutinous rice as these candy rice balls get chilly or much less “contemporary”, the feel will turn into laborious and never so chewy.
Mixing it with common rice helps to maintain the feel softer and chewier.
2. Pre-measure Anko (Purple Bean Paste)
As soon as the cooked rice is pounded, it’s greatest to form it whereas the rice remains to be heat. If you happen to pre-measure the paste and roll it into balls forward of time, you’ll be able to simply seize the paste and stuff within the rice balls rapidly.
3. Partially Pound the Rice
One of many distinctive options of Ohagi (Botamochi) is the noticeable rice texture whenever you chunk into it. In contrast to different comparable mochi sweets the place advantageous rice flours are used, the rice is pounded partially, not mashed or kneaded all the way in which. This half-pounding method known as “Hangoroshi“, literary a half kill (半殺し).
4. Use Plastic Wrap to Thinly Unfold the Purple Bean Paste
Plastic wrap helps tremendously when you must unfold a skinny layer of purple bean paste across the rice balls. I’ve tried utilizing my naked hand as an alternative of plastic wrap, however I believe you want a number of practices to make it look presentable.
5. Save and Reapply Black Sesame and Soybean Flour
Inside 10-Quarter-hour after you coat the rice balls with black sesame seeds and soybean flour, you’ll discover the colour of these Ohagi (Botamochi) get darker and spotty.
This occurs as a result of the moisture within the rice is launched to the coating. Subsequently, it’s greatest to maintain some coating and reapply it proper earlier than serving.
Find out how to Retailer and Get pleasure from Ohagi
As they’re fabricated from each glutinous rice and rice, Ohagi will not be appropriate to retailer within the fridge. The temperature will solely flip the rice balls laborious and lose the gentle, chewy texture. Subsequently, it’s greatest to maintain them in a cool place and revel in them as quickly as attainable (half-day to 12 hours).
March could be cool, however September can nonetheless be heat and the meals could go dangerous quicker. In that case, I like to recommend storing them within the fridge however cowl the container with a thick towel to guard from chilly air. They need to be saved cool, ideally.
It’s also possible to freeze Ohagi for as much as 1 month. While you’re able to eat, defrost in a single day within the fridge.
To deliver again the perfect texture, Ohagi must be reheated gently within the microwave to heat or room temperature so that you can take pleasure in.
Ohagi (Botamochi) are usually not so candy they usually go effectively with inexperienced tea. Despite the fact that I don’t observe the non secular ceremony, I nonetheless make these for my household twice a 12 months across the spring and autumn equinox. In my home, meals tradition is fairly essential and I hope my kids will bear in mind my candy Japanese rice balls twice a 12 months.
Different Seasonal Japanese Sweets
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Ohagi (Botamochi)
Made with glutinous rice and purple bean paste, these Japanese Candy Rice Balls are provided to 1’s ancestors and eaten throughout the spring and autumn equinoxes in Japan. They’re referred to as Botamochi in spring and Ohagi in autumn.
Servings: 24 items (roughly 24-26)
Components
For the Black Sesame Coating
For the Soybean Flour Coating
For the Purple Bean Paste Filling and Coating
Stop your display screen from going darkish
Directions
To Put together the Glutinous Rice
To Put together the Coatings and Filling
To Make with Anko Filling
To Make with Anko Coating
To Retailer
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It’s greatest to maintain them in a cool place and revel in them as quickly as attainable (inside a half day or 12 hours). If it’s too heat to maintain at room temperature, I like to recommend storing them within the fridge, however cowl the container with a thick towel to guard the from chilly air. Ideally, they need to be saved cool. It’s also possible to freeze Ohagi for as much as 1 month. While you’re able to eat, defrost in a single day within the fridge. To deliver them again a great texture, Ohagi must be reheated gently within the microwave till heat or at room temperature so that you can take pleasure in.
Vitamin
Vitamin Details
Ohagi (Botamochi)
Quantity per Serving
% Every day Worth*
* % Every day Values are based mostly on a 2000 calorie weight loss program.
Editor’s Observe: This submit was initially printed on March 16, 2020. It was republished on March 11, 2024.
