あわしま堂 Mandarin Orange Daifuku: I've had surprisingly little mochi in Japan, even though it's one of my favorite snacks, but the orange-themed packaging of this individually-wrapped snack stood out to me, and since I had never tasted orange-flavored mochi before, I decided to give it a try. The mochi itself is dyed pale orange and is much more plump and pliable than any store-bought mochi I've had in the states. The filling is almost like an orange pulp, slightly stringy in texture, and is notably acidic, rather than tas... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended mochi tokyo daifuku mandarin orange 3.5
Mount Takao Mitarashi Dango: A couple weekends ago, I went hiking at Mount Takao, a scenic destination about an hour from Tokyo with views of Mount Fuji from the 600m tip. It's especially famous for its colorful autumn leaves, which I was very thankful to get to experience firsthand. Probably because I've been especially inactive since the start of the pandemic, it was more difficult than I expected to scale the mountain with its steep inclines and the added challenge of wearing a mask while exercising. The 22k steps... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended japanese mochi mounttakao mitarashi dango 4.0
Häagen-Dazs Chesnut Mochi Ice Cream: This is another Japanese-exclusive Haagen-Dazs flavor featuring white bean paste (shiro an) flavored ice cream topped with mochi and a chestnut sauce, all topped with powdered sugar. I found the texture of the mochi to be not quite as good as the soybean flavor I had previously – a little too sticky and not quite as chewy. The flavor overall was also generally sweetener and less memorable. That being said, without the soybean powder, it was definitely much easier to eat. The same unique c... (read more) 3.0/5.0
icecream japanese hagendazs chesnut mochi ice cream 3.0
Häagen-Dazs Soybean Flour Brown Sugar Mochi Ice Cream (Hanamochi): The ice cream aisle in Japan consists largely of individual single-serving sized portions (kiddie-sized), whether for popsicles or regular ice cream. The most ubiquitous ice cream brand seems to be Häagen-Dazs, which has many exclusive Japanese flavors. Their Hanamochi series, originally introduced in 2015, features mochi-topped ice cream. The brown sugar soybean flour flavor I purchased has a peanut-colored powder that often coats traditional mochi treats. You ideally wait about 5 minut... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended icecream japanese coop hagendazs soybean flour brown sugar mochi ice cream (hanamochi) 4.0
福丸饅頭 Kusa Daifuku : This mochi is from a small confectionary shop in Yanaka, Tokyo that serves a variety of fresh, seasonal mochi. I purchased this green mochi thinking it was matcha-flavored, but it’s actually made of mugwort, a type of medicinal plant of Chinese origin. It has a slightly bitter flavor that’s not at all sweet, like a mix of spinach and peppery parsley. It reminds me of a green smoothie in that people would enjoy it as a dessert, but it’s mostly savory. The texture of the mochi was perfect ... (read more) 5.0/5.0
exceptional japanese mochi kusa daifuku 5.0
Nihonbashiya Persimmon Mochi: This is the second flavor mochi I bought from Nihonbashiya, the Japanese confectionary shop in Akihabara station. It features a very cute gelatin leaf. This flavor was a bit more neutral, with a dark brown taste interior that taste sweet and faintly floral but was not particularly reminiscent of persimmon. Texture was decent but not extremely fresh. 3.0/5.0
tokyo akihabara sweets japanese nihonbashiya persimmon mochi 3.0