Pickles and Tea Blog

I’ve been meaning to bake a mochi cake (also called butter mochi) for the longest time–maybe 10 years?–ever since I first used mochiko for the mochiko chicken recipe in my first cookbook The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook.

A few weeks ago, I finally did. 

I was inspired by a mochi cake recipe that came with a “spice” mix I received from a company called Raw Spice Bar. They’d sent me a matcha (Japanese green tea) and chia seeds mix together with the recipe. Their recipe suggested subbing fine rice flour for mochiko, Japanese sweet rice flour. I didn’t think this was accurate so I went straight to the source. I contacted Koda Farms.

Koda Farms produces Blue Star® Mochiko, the only U.S.-based Japanese sweet rice flour brand that I know of. I sent them an email and spokesperson Robin Koda responded, giving me more info that I had requested.

This family-owned farm has been producing Japanese short grain sweet/mochi/glutinous rice on their California farm since the 1940s. They were the first to introduce this rice strain to the U.S. and the flour resulted as a practical secondary product.

Blue Star mochiko is from the Japonica family and is different from the long- to medium-grain Thai-style glutinous rice. However, I would use a Thai glutinous rice flour like Erawan brand as a substitute, not a generically identified “rice flour” that, more often than not, will be composed of long grain rice which has a lower starch content/profile. This includes Bob’s Red Mill brand’s rice flour.

Let me end on a tidbit, California is the only U.S. state to ban the farming of GMO strains of rice.

~~~

 

Matcha and Chia Mochi
(Adapted from Raw Spice Bar)

I used the matcha and chia mix that Raw Spice Bar sent me but you can easily make your own. Add the mix to drinks and other cakes and breads! Just have fun with it! 

Makes: 8 to 10 servings
Time: 45 minutes (10 minutes active)

1 cup mochiko
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Japanese matcha
2 teaspoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (not low-fat please!)
2 tablespoons butter, melted (optional)
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8” pan with parchment paper.
2. Mix together the mochiko, sugar, matcha, chia seeds and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
3. Add the coconut milk, butter, if using, vanilla, and eggs and mix until smooth.
4. Pour into the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
5. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Notes:

• Japanese matcha is a bright green finely ground tea that’s available at most Asian markets. Do not substitute other green teas.
• My preferred coconut milk is Chaokoh brand. 
• I’ve tried making this with and without butter and both were just as good! Feel free to skip it or use a butter substitute. 

[yumprint-recipe id=’43’]