As we have entered the final week of our 18-week journey, we thought we would kick it up a notch and introduce the first video installment of What is it??. Same rules apply. Best of luck.
P.S. We are purposely not revealing our current location to make things a bit trickier.
I’m guessing that they are sesame buns (probably stuffed with something sweet like red bean paste) – possibly green tea flavored (hence the color)?
Mochi?????
-Betsy
Moshi moshi, it’s Japaneses mochi.
–Julie Rockett (guess who I am.)
I’m going to guess Wasabi.
I consulted my Asian Mystery Food Consultant (whom I keep on a retainer for situations like these), and she determined that Betsy and Julie are right. This is Mochi covered with Kinako powder (soybean flour).
Allison B
Good work so far. Allison & Lee are both very close, but nobody has it exactly. Hint: why are they green? We'll leave the lines open for another 24 hours and then post the correct answer. Good luck!
I’ll revise my guess to green tea-flavored rice gluten cakes dipped in soybean flour (although I’m sure that the Chinese name sounds better)
And Julie Rockett, you are the sister-in-law of my dear Viktoria Keding. (That took just one quick Google search.) Great to see you on the blog!
This green colored mochi, which is sometimes called, Kusa Mochi “grass mochi”or Yomogi Mochi, is flavored with Japanese mugwort (Artemesia Princeps). Japanese Mugwort is sometimes used in the traditional medicine of Japan (where I think the video originates). Also Kusa Mochi is often filled with red bean paste. An alternate name for mochi is Daifuku which means literally, “great luck.”