Welcome to a special seasonal edition of the NYC Konbini Kitchen! We’re taking a moment to focus on Exploring Seasonal Japanese Wagashi with a review of a delicate treat: sakura mochi.
Exploring Seasonal Japanese Wagashi
Finding seasonal cherry blossom mochi doesn’t have to be difficult, especially when renowned makers like Minamoto Kitchoan bring their fine Japanese sweets to events like the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Sakura Matsuri (where I picked up this beautiful piece!).
As a note of caution, especially after trying the Sakura Goromo (which you should check out!), those with severe pollen allergies might want to save these snacks for home, as they involve ingesting literal flowers.
Texture and Scent of the Sakura Mochi
This particular wagashi is traditionally beautiful: delicately encased within a sakura tree leaf and topped with a pressed cherry blossom. Unlike the powdered varieties I’ve had before, this treat has no such coating, truly showcasing its artistry.
On its top, a dried cherry blossom was pressed to its surface. I used to wonder if you should eat the leaves surrounding some mochi, but learned that it is safe to do so.
The plastic wrapper was easy to pop open, and upon this, I got an overbearing smell of what I could describe as the forest floor. A pungent blend of leaves, tree bark, and the smell of grass on a warm day after it had rained quite a bit.
There was the same hint of cinnamon spices in the mix, but much more subdued than the sakura bean cake.
I put my fingers to the sticky rice and feel its gelatinous texture. I touch the smooth surface of the sakura leaf, which isn’t soggy per se but definitely beginning to deteriorate and intermingle in the mochi.
The expiration date is set for April 29th, and it is a day later.
Although, I have found that you can always squeeze out one more day concerning mochi as long as it’s refrigerated and unopened. As per usual with this snack, there was no freshness packet in this.
I learned this lesson the hard way after having Sanshoku dango turn on me multiple times after opening the package, eating one stick, and then days later thinking I could come back to it and only finding mold and wasted money.
Judging by the earthy smell, I was a bit tepid about eating this snack.
I was pleasantly surprised, and enjoyed this wagashi much more than the first one I ate a few minutes earlier. The sakura goromo definitely has a much more pleasing appearance, but for what the mochi lacked in aesthetic, it made up for in taste.
Sinking my teeth in, the anko bean paste tasted sweet and mingled with the sticky rice so well. I barely tasted the sakura leaf, which was much less pronounced than the other flavors overpowered it. The cinnamon flavor filled my chest, and the sticky rice slightly clung to my teeth.
Taste Profile: Finding the True Cherry Blossom Flavor
Taking a second bite, the flavor palate seems to have changed. I now tasted the saltiness most complain of when eating sakura food items. I have yet to come to the dried bloom on this snack, so the culprit has to be the leaf. The veins seemed to have broken apart and turned into thin strings fraying along their spines.
The anko paste is definitely the smooth koshian variety with the bean skins removed during processing. I allow myself a bigger bite, and the profile changes again, and all I taste is sticky rice. This is indeed an interesting snack.
It seems to change with every bite, although the core amounts of ingredients remain the same. I am allowing myself a sip of coffee, as the leaf is trying to stick to the inside of my throat. Again, as in my last review, the traditional pairing of tea would have gone swimmingly with this treat.
It’s time to add the cherry blossom into the mix. In my last review, I pulled the blossom off and ate it separately to try to ascertain its natural taste. This time I will eat it together as intended.
The leaf touches my tongue first and tastes as salty as seaweed. I taste this pocket of sweetness fighting its way through the meld against the bitter and astringent elements. They combine and marry into a blend of cool, soothing, neutral tastes that leave more leaf particles in my throat.
Differing from the bean cake, there is no aftertaste. No overwhelming churn of cinnamon and reminiscence of Middle Eastern spices. There’s just a taste of sticky rice left in my mouth that is competing for top spot against the leaves.
This snack was much better eaten in small, dainty nibbles rather than shoving it all in for one last bite as I just did. In my experience, it just cancelled all the flavor it had and left me wanting more.
If you’re looking for a perfect tea pairing for your wagashi, why not try an elegant green tea to boost its flavor! What is your favorite type of mochi? Do you enjoy cherry blossom-themed snacks?
Leave your thoughts in the comment section below, I would love to hear from you! Also, be sure to follow us for more Japanese snack reviews!
☆ In Asian Spaces ☆ Ephesians 6:12 ☆
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