Iriko Mochi (Parched Rice Flour Cake)

Quick answer

Total time: 30 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 5

About this dish

Iriko mochi is a Miyazaki confection made from parched rice flour, traditionally ground from a mixture of glutinous and short-grain rice in an 8:2 or 7:3 ratio.

Sugar, starch syrup, and water are heated only until bubbles rise, then worked into the flour a little at a time while still hot. The dough gains a soft, chewy body without being steamed or boiled. It is shaped in a starch-dusted mold, cooled completely, and cut with a starch-coated knife. The roasted rice aroma and mild sweetness suit a snack that has been shared since the Edo period for children's seasonal celebrations, Bon offerings, and everyday eating.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

parched mixed rice flour300 gg

potato starch2 tbsptbsp

sugar300 gg

starch syrup50 gg

water280 mlml

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

5 steps

1

Finish

Sift 1 tablespoon of the potato starch in a thin layer over a wide, shallow mold.

Reserve the remaining starch for shaping and cutting.
2

Control

Combine the sugar, starch syrup, and water in a pot over medium heat.

Stir until the sugar dissolves, and remove from the heat immediately when bubbles begin to rise evenly across the surface.
3

Prep

Put the parched mixed rice flour in a large bowl.

Add the hot syrup in four or five portions, working quickly with a pestle after each addition until no dry flour remains and the dough gathers together.
4

Finish

While the dough is still warm, transfer it to the starch-dusted mold.

Dust your hands with the reserved starch and press it into an even rectangle or log with a level surface.
5

Prep

Cool completely at room temperature until the center holds its shape.

Coat the knife lightly with the remaining potato starch and cut into 2 cm-wide sticks or bite-size squares.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Parched glutinous and short-grain rice form the flour.
Finish cue: Coat the knife lightly with the remaining potato starch and cut into 2 cm-wide sticks or bite-size squares.
Avoid this: Boiling the syrup too long removes too much moisture and makes the cooled cake hard.
Storage and reheating: Cool completely at room temperature until the center holds its shape.