Norimaki Mochi with Sweet Sakura Glaze is a delightful sweet and savory treat with chewy addictive mochi, crispy nori and a delicately sweet sakura (cherry blossom) glaze.
My thoughts and prayers are with you, Japan. This week commemorates the two-year anniversary of the tragic earthquake and Tsunami that devastated Tōhoku region and many surrounding areas.
Japan is my second home away from home. I resided in Yokohama, just before this incident, and the people you meet and ever lasting bonds will always be part of my life. The world was glued to the TV for weeks/months and gave assistance and prayers.
My experience was a little closer to the heart as I watched the news unfold and wondering how my dear friends, who are almost like my second family, are doing. Are they okay? The phone lines are down... We even had families from Japan come and stay with us here in Hong Kong to help out during this disaster. I can't believe it has been two years ago as it feels like it was just yesterday.
My heart goes out to all that have lost family and friends and your homes and sending some positive thoughts your way. I know that we cannot change what has happened but I hope each day they are closer to recovery.
Japan is a very strong country with beautiful people who can overcome anything. Time, perseverance, cohesiveness and discipline are the traits that kept them moving forward and will continue to heal them.
Why you are going to love our recipe for Norimaki Mochi with Sweet Sakura Glaze
Today I made a delicious Norimaki Mochi with Sweet Sakura Glaze in memory of those affected by this tragedy. Norimaki Mochi is just delicious when baked and eaten hot out of the oven. The tamari (soy sauce) brown sugar glaze gives the outside of the mochi a crispy bite and the inside is chewy and delicious.
Satisfy your Sweet and Salty Craze
Unlike traditional desserts, this one is slightly sweet and slightly savory and it accidentally gluten-free, lactose free, egg free and vegan. This dessert is ridiculous easy to make from start to finish only about 15 minutes. Norimaki Mochi with Sweet Sakura Glaze is an easy ending to a Japanese meal or great after school snack, this treat is your new solution to the new sweet-salty craze.
My dear friend Naomi-san showed me how to make this very simple dessert, when I lived in Japan. I dedicate this recipe to all that were affected by this tragedy and hope each new day brings positive changes.
What is mochi and kirimochi?
Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made of glutinous rice, waxy rice, sweet rice or otherwise called mochi rice. Individually wrapped Kirimochi (切り餅) are delicious when baked after applying a tamari (soy sauce) and brown sugar glaze and wrapped in nori (seaweed).
Kirimochi must be cooked either by baking, grilling, pan frying or even placed into soups before it can be consumed as it is very hard. Kirimochi softens very quickly when cooked by any of these methods and I have even heard some people put it in the microwave to soften. However, I do not think I would be too keen on that method as you do not get the crispy edges.
Celebrating Hanami with Sakura (Cherry Blossom) Glaze
As we are nearing Sakura (cherry blossom) season, I added a delicious sakura white bean sauce as a garnish/dipping sauce for this dessert.
However this is optional and it is also really good sprinkled with white and black sesame seeds or additional Tamari (soy sauce) brown sugar glaze.
My dear friend Annina took these beautiful photos of the sakura during her recent trip to Hanami at Kawazu. A special thank you Annina your photography is stunning! Check out her sakura pictures below.
More Delicious Japanese Recipes to Celebrate Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing)
Magic Matcha Bars
Baked Match Lemon Glazed Donuts
Tuna Mayo Rice Balls (Onigiri)
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Norimaki Mochi with Sweet Sakura Glaze
Ingredients
- 5 Kirimochi (切り餅)
- ¼ cup tamari (soy) sauce
- 2-3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 sheets dried nori leaves
1 strip per Kirimochi (切り餅) - ¼ cup Sakura white bean paste
(pre-made) optional garnish, other garnishes such as white or black sesame seeds or additional tamari brown sugar glaze to dip in is also a nice touch. - 2 tbsp water (to thin out the Sakura paste)
- cooking spray to prepare the baking pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190 Celsius or 375 F.
- Make the tamari (soy sauce) glaze: add tamari (soy sauce) to a small pan and add brown sugar and cook over low medium heat until it is a nice and thick glaze about 5 minutes. Set aside
- Make the Sakura sauce glaze: In a pan add the pre-mixed Sakura white bean paste (found in Asian food markets or Japanese goods stores) and thin out with a little water and heat through just so it is easy to spread. Some other alternative garnishes that work well are white and black sesame seeds or additional Tamari brown sugar glaze on the side.
- Place the Kirimochi (切り餅) blocks on a pre-greased baking sheet. Slather the tamari brown sugar glaze on each Kirimochi (切り餅) and bake for about 10 minutes or until firm on the outside and chewy on the inside. Don't cook too long or it will end up in a pool of mochi (completely melted). The goal is you want the edges to be crispy but the inside to be tender. If you do not have an oven, you can also pan fry or grill instead.
- Trim your nori (dried seaweed) into 3 long strips the same width as your mochi. (Alternatively you can buy the thin pre-cut strips of nori) Set aside
- Immediately wrap the warm mochi in nori. Garnish Morimaki with Sakura sauce and serve. Best served hot out of the oven.
What an interesting dessert - I enjoy learning about the cuisine of other cultures. And yes it was and is very sad about all the Japanese went through two years ago... so sad... I am sure they are still rebuilding.
Lovely dessert, great post, fascinating...
This dessert sounds so unique and the presentation is lovely. What a beautiful way to commemorate lost loved ones.
Such a horrible event, however your reflections on the tragedy and the people of Japan (not to mention your close friends) are just right. It's good for all of us to pause and remember such a tremendous loss and pay tribute. I love hearing about these "exotic" desserts. Your photos always bring them to life for me!
Thank you Allison for taking a moment out to give tribute. I think they still have a hard road ahead but very slowly making it to their goals.
Has it really been 2 years? It is good that the recovery has made much progress.
This looks like fun. Like a sweet sushi....
I know it is so hard to believe it has been this long...It is going to be a slow recovery but I know they will get there. I never thought of it this way but yes Norimaki is like a sweet sushi. Nori is dried seaweed and maki is grilled.
Lovely post, and a great dish! It looks so good and absolutely delicious!
Thank you, I hope everyone can just take a quick moment to reflect and send some positive thoughts to Japan. I really love these simple treats, will not work in a bento as they have to be eaten hot out of the oven but great after school snacks.
Beautiful post! Your photos are absolutely gorgeous. And Annina's photos are breathtaking too. Delicious recipe Bam!
Thank you. I really do love Annina's photos she did a great job of capturing the moment.
Wow, that looks fabulous! Your photos and plating are looking amazing!
Hello Erika, I think that we need some pancake dessert for the perfect ending to this meal. Thanks so much and have a super weekend.
A beautiful post and tribute, BAM, from sharing some of your personal experience in Japan, to the fantastically exotic dish, to the beautiful images of the Sakura. I love tamari but have never tasted it in a dessert. The whole of the flavors in this, sweet with umami, sounds really lovely! I hope your friends in Japan are healing and I wish them peace, tranquility, good health and happiness from this day forward.
Thank you Betsy. Japan appreciates everyone prayers, thoughts and healing. This is quite a unique dessert from a western perspective but not so crazy when you think about how we like salty caramel and other combinations. I just use tamari sauce as we try to be gluten free as much as we can be here but soy sauce is best. If you can get your hands on the ingredients give it a try. I know that you will like it.Take care, BAM
Thank you for the beautiful post for "our" country. You and I are BFBFF (best "food blog" friends forever) from Yokohama! 🙂 I always have kirimochi 24/7 in my pantry. I usually toast first then dip in the soy sauce but with your way the soy sauce gets more caramelized and taste better! Thanks for your sweet words on my blog. You are very sweet and kind friend!
Dear Nami-san, arigato gozarimasu for your very kind message. Japan will always hold a very special place in my heart, just like you- BFBFF forever indeed. I am so glad our love for food has brought us together. My dear friend Naomi-san also showed me your way, the traditional way, on how to make this treat. However, you know I love experimenting in Healthy World Cuisine and the glaze gets very thick and caramelized if you first cook it on the stove top and then put it on the kirimochi before you bake it. The outer crust of the mochi slightly crispy and the inside nice and chewy. It is really nice. Please take care. Ja Mata, BAM