What makes Japanese?

Warabi-Mochi/わらび餅

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Left: Warabimochi from sweet potato starch, right: from potato starch

日本語は英語の下にあります。
Warabi-Mochi is a Japanese sweet especially for summer.
Its history is very long.
It was said that the 60th Emperor Daigo loved Warabi-Mochi very much.

“Warabi” means bracken, while “Mochi” means sticky rice cake. 
However, we don’t use sticky rice for this, because bracken starch is more preferable.
Only 70 g of starch can be produced from 10 kg of bracken root.
Nowadays, starch from bracken is quite expensive.
So, starch from potato becomes a substitute.

In order to make Warabi-Mochi, starch, sugar and water are mixed.
While heating it, the mixture turns from liquid to gel.
It is cooled in fresh water. 
Putting it in the refrigerator is not recommended because its texture becomes too hard.
Depending on the area, pour brown sugar syrup on Warabi-Mochi (after coat your warabi mochi with toasted soybean flour).

How to make Warabi-Mochi

Here is the recipe for two people.

  1. Potato starch: 50 g
  2. Sugar: 30g (You can adjust based on your preference)
  3. Water: 250ml
  4. Soy bean flour: 80 g
  5. Another sugar: 40 g
  6. A pinch of salt 
  1.  Put ingredient 1 and 2 into a pan and pour water and mix them.
  2.  Place it on an oven and heat it with medium fire.
    You have to keep stirring it until the liquid becomes translucent and a bit sticky.
  3.  Prepare the ice bath by pouring water with ice cubes.
  4.  Transfer the mixture into a container and set aside.
  5.  Place the container into the ice bath and wait for 60 minutes until the Warabi-Mochi cools down.
  6.  While waiting for warabi-mochi to cool down, prepare the coating by mixing ingredients 4, 5 and 6.
    And this is called “Kinako”.
    Adjust the sweetness based on your preference.
    The golden ratio between soybean powder and sugar is said to be 7:3, 2:1 and 1:1.
    That is to say, it’s up to you.
    You may find your favorite ratio.
  7.  Once the Warabi-Mochi cools down, cut Warabi-Mochi into a bite-size and coat it with Kinako.

Here is the way of making soybean flour.

  1. Clean soybeans with water.
  2. Grill these on low heat until the soybeans are edible.
  3. Grind these into powder.

How about making Warabi-Mochi at home ?
We’d love to see your Warabi-Mochi, so we are looking you to posting a photo below.

【Translation for language learners of either English or Japanese】/英語・日本語学習者向け翻訳 えいご ・  にほんごがくしゅうしゃむ  ほんやく

わらび餅は日本の夏の冷やし菓子です。
歴史は古く、第60代の醍醐天皇が好きだったと言われています。


わらび餅のわらびは山菜の蕨からきています。
一方の餅は、もち米を使っていません。
蕨の根から採れる澱粉を使っています。
10kgの蕨からわずか70gしか採れない、とても貴重なものですから、甘藷澱粉が代用品となっています。

わらび餅を作るには、澱粉と砂糖、水を混ぜます。
熱すると、混合液がジェル状になります。
水で冷やします。
硬くなってしまうので冷蔵庫へ入れるのは、お勧めしません。
わらび餅には一般的に、きな粉や黒蜜をかけます。

わらび餅の作り方

二人分の材料

  1. 片栗粉: 50g
  2. 砂糖: 30g (お好みで)
  3. 水: 250 cc
  4. きな粉: 80g
  5. 砂糖: 40g
  6. 塩: ひとつまみ
  1.  材料1と2を鍋に入れて、水を注ぎ混ぜます。
  2.  中火にかけ、液が透明でもっちりするまで、混ぜ続けます。
  3.  氷の入った水を用意します。
  4.  2をタッパーの中に入れます。
  5.  わらび餅が冷えるまで60分くらい待ちます。
  6.  待っている間に、材料4, 5, 6を混ぜ、きな粉を作ります。
    甘さは適宜調整しましょう。
    黄金比は、7:3, 2:1, 1:1 とも言われています。
    自分好みの黄金比を見つめてみましょう。
  7.  わらび餅が冷えたら、一口大に切ってきな粉をまぶします。

きな粉の作り方(きな粉が手に入らない外国を想定して作り方を載せました)

  1. 水で大豆を洗います。
  2. 大豆を弱火で炒ります。
  3. ミキサーで粉にします。

わらび餅をご自宅で作ってみてはいかがでしょうか。
作ってアップしてくださるのをお待ちしてます。

Pocket

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Miki

Good day, I am the founder of Aurora Trip Nippon. Also, I am a Certified National Guide, Certified Tour Conductor, Certified General Travel Service Supervisor, as well as a Kimono Consultant.
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