Mame Shitogi (Green Soybean Rice Cake)

Quick answer

Total time: 65 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 50 servings
Ingredients: 6

About this dish

Mame shitogi is a fresh sweet from the Nanbu area of Aomori, made by kneading cooked and mashed green soybeans with equal parts non-glutinous and glutinous rice flour, sugar, salt, and warm water.

Shitogi is regarded as an early form of mochi once offered at shrines, while soybeans helped stretch scarce rice after repeated cold-weather crop damage. The pale green dough is shaped like a kamaboko log and sliced 1 cm thick. It is crumbly and tender when fresh, or more fragrant, sweet, and slightly chewy after grilling. Use heat-treated, ready-to-eat rice flour for the fresh version.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

soaked and cooked green soybeans6 cupcup

heat-treated non-glutinous rice flour500 gg

heat-treated glutinous rice flour500 gg

sugar2 cupcup

lukewarm water3 cupcup

salt40 gg

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Instructions

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

6 steps

1

Heat

Cook the soaked green soybeans in fresh water until they crush easily between the fingers, then drain thoroughly.
2

Step

While warm, mash the beans finely in a mortar or processor, leaving a few small bean pieces for texture.
3

Season

Combine the two rice flours in equal proportions, mix in sugar and salt, then add the mashed soybeans.
4

Step

Add lukewarm water gradually and knead until the dough is soft like an earlobe and no longer cracks.

Hold back water if the beans are moist.
5

Step

Shape the dough into 5 to 6 cm-wide kamaboko-like logs, wrap tightly, and chill for 30 minutes to firm.
6

Finish

Slice 1 cm thick and serve fresh, or toast in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side until browned.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Cooked green soybeans are mashed with two rice flours.
Finish cue: Add lukewarm water gradually and knead until the dough is soft like an earlobe and no longer cracks.
Avoid this: Do not eat ordinary raw rice flour uncooked.
Storage and reheating: Refrigerate leftovers and eat within two days.