Kakimochi (Dried and Fried Rice-Cake Crackers)

Quick answer

Total time: 240 min
Level: Hard
Servings: 80 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Kakimochi begins as a glutinous rice dough seasoned with grated taro, black sesame, nori, salt, and a small amount of baking soda, but its defining step is the long, controlled drying period before frying.

The 4.5 kg glutinous rice is soaked for 8 hours and drained for 1 hour. Steaming then continues for 45 to 60 minutes, stopping when every grain is translucent and tender. While hot, it is pounded with 120 g grated taro, 36 g salt, 18 g black sesame, four nori sheets torn into 5 mm pieces, and 15 g food-grade baking soda. Pounding continues until no rice grains remain and the dough is smooth enough to slice cleanly later. With dampened hands, the mochi is divided into eight logs about 6 cm wide and 4 cm high. The logs rest under clean cloth in a cool place for 2 days, becoming firm enough for a sharp knife to cut them into 2 to 3 mm slices without crushing them. The pieces are arranged separately on mesh, shade-dried for 2 days, then moved to mesh bags for roughly 12 more days in cool, dry, moving air. A test piece should snap with no damp layer in its center. Any mold spot or musty smell requires discarding that piece and adjacent ones rather than frying them. Fully dried kakimochi is stored airtight and fried only as needed. Small batches spend 2 to 4 minutes in oil held at 140°C, with turning, until the centers expand evenly and become crisp instead of browning while still hard inside.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

glutinous rice4500 gg

peeled grated taro120 gg

salt36 gg

black sesame seeds18 gg

toasted nori sheets4 sheetsheet

baking soda15 gg

frying oil1000 mlml

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Instructions

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

6 steps

1

Season

Rinse 4.5kg glutinous rice until the water clears, soak for 8 hours, and drain for 1 hour.

Tear 4 nori sheets into 5mm pieces and combine with 120g grated taro, 36g salt, 18g black sesame, and 15g baking soda.
2

Prep

Steam the soaked rice over strong steam for 45 to 60 minutes until translucent and tender through the center.

Transfer it hot to a mochi pounder with the mixed additions and pound longer than ordinary mochi, until no grains remain and the dough is smooth.
3

Control

Moisten hands and work surface lightly.

Divide the hot mochi into 8 long logs, shaping each about 6cm wide and 4cm high. Arrange without touching, cover with clean cloth, and firm in a cool place for 2 days.
4

Prep

Slice the firm logs 2 to 3mm thick with a clean sharp knife.

Arrange pieces individually on mesh without overlap, shade-dry for 2 days, then transfer to mesh bags and dry about 12 more days in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place.
5

Step

Break a test piece and confirm it is hard through the center with no damp layer.

Discard any piece with mold spots or a musty smell together with adjacent pieces. Store fully dried kakimochi in an airtight container in a dry place.
6

Heat

Fry only the amount needed.

Heat 1L oil in a deep pot to 140C, add a few dried pieces at a time, and fry for 2 to 4 minutes, turning until expanded evenly and crisp through. Drain on a rack and cool completely.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Mochi pounded with taro, nori, and black sesame
Finish cue: Steam the soaked rice over strong steam for 45 to 60 minutes until translucent and tender through the center.
Avoid this: Do not slice while the mochi is soft; wait two days until a knife can pass straight through without crushing it.
Substitution: Small batches spend 2 to 4 minutes in oil held at 140°C, with turning, until the centers expand evenly and become crisp instead of browning while still hard inside.
Storage and reheating: Fully dried kakimochi is stored airtight and fried only as needed.