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What is Mochi Rice?

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Mochi rice is a type of short grain rice that is of the rice cultivars Oryza sativa or Oryza glutinosa. The rice may be alternately named pearl rice, sticky rice, glutinous rice, sweet rice or botan rice. The Japanese refer to this sticky rice as mochi rice — which despite the name glutinous rice does not contain gluten. Though the Japanese also enjoy less sticky forms of short grain rice, sticky rice is very special, and is used to make some traditional Japanese dishes.

In particular, mochi rice makes the Japanese dish, mochi — rice cakes that are pounded into a paste and formed into small cakes. Cakes made from mochi rice are traditionally eaten on the New Year, and they may have different variations. Mochi rice cakes stuffed with red bean paste are called daifuku, and if this cake also includes a strawberry it is called ichigo daifuku. Mochi rice can also be wrapped around ice cream, or be made into small balls to add to soups. One popular snack food is agemochi, dried deep fried mochi that can receive various flavorings like shichimi, a mix of chili pepper, orange peel, sesame seed, poppy seed, hemp seed, edible seaweed (nori) and sansho, another type of pepper.

Orange peel is sometimes used to flavor mochi rice.
Orange peel is sometimes used to flavor mochi rice.

Mochi rice is so sticky, as mentioned above, not because of gluten. It’s safe to eat for people who are on gluten-free diets. It does contain a high amount of a specialized form of glucose called amylopectin. Though it’s popular in Japan, its growth there is fairly limited. This type of rice though, is grown in numerous Asian countries, and is used in many different Asian cuisine recipes. Laos produces sticky rice, more than any other type of rice and it’s estimated that approximately 70% of the rice crop in Laos is of the sticky rice type.

Adzuki beans, which are used to make red bean paste, an ingredient in many mochi rice cakes.
Adzuki beans, which are used to make red bean paste, an ingredient in many mochi rice cakes.

In Chinese cuisine, sticky rice may be served as a dessert, and it’s also an essential ingredient in various dim sum recipes. Koreans add sticky rice to samgyetang, a ginseng flavored chicken soup. In Vietnam, sticky rice is often made into sweet confections, and Thai cooks may steam the rice in coconut milk, as in the dish Kao neaw moon.

You can get mochi rice from a few US growers, and many advocate its use in California Rolls. Sticky rice has a sweet flavor, which perhaps explains its use in so many candies and cakes. People in the US suggest that the rice is the hands down choice for super sweet and delicious rice pudding.

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent DelightedCooking contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

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Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent DelightedCooking contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

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Discussion Comments

anon102168

thanks for the info. mochi rice sounds so yummy! --becca

zenmaster

@yournamehere -- Unfortunately mochi rice powder is pretty much the only thing that will give you that particular "mochi" taste and texture.

However, you can try to substitute rice flour, but you may have to adjust your recipe a little, since regular rice powder is going to make your mochi more doughy, without the characteristic stickiness that you get from mochi rice powder.

I would say it's still worth a try, but you might have to experiment a little to get it right.

yournamehere

Are there any common ingredients that can substitute mochi rice for making mochi, specifically for rice cakes (daifuku)? Glutinous rice powder is hard to get a hold of where I live, but I really want to make some mochi!

FirstViolin

Oh, mochi rice. There is a great Hong Kong dessert called tong yuen, which is basically a donut hole-sized ball made of mochi rice covering with red bean paste in the middle. It sounds kind of weird -- especially since it is usually translated into English as "glutinous rice balls" but once you have one, there's no turning back.

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    • Orange peel is sometimes used to flavor mochi rice.
      Orange peel is sometimes used to flavor mochi rice.
    • Adzuki beans, which are used to make red bean paste, an ingredient in many mochi rice cakes.
      By: sai
      Adzuki beans, which are used to make red bean paste, an ingredient in many mochi rice cakes.
    • Poppy seeds can provide extra flavor when making agemochi.
      By: Robert Gubbins
      Poppy seeds can provide extra flavor when making agemochi.
    • In the US, mochi rice is the grain favored by many when making rice pudding.
      By: JJAVA
      In the US, mochi rice is the grain favored by many when making rice pudding.
    • Mochi rice is use to make the Japanese dish, mochi — which is rice pounded into a paste and formed into small cakes.
      By: paul_brighton
      Mochi rice is use to make the Japanese dish, mochi — which is rice pounded into a paste and formed into small cakes.