Tokyo Sakura Mochi with Cherry Leaf

Quick answer

Total time: 60 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients: 11

About this dish

Tokyo-style sakura mochi is an Edo confection that cooks a thin oval pancake from wheat flour and shiratamako, wraps it around smooth red bean paste, and encloses it again in a salt-preserved Oshima cherry leaf.

Tradition dates it to 1717, when Shinroku Yamamoto, working near Chomeiji by the Sumida riverbank, salted fallen cherry leaves gathered during cleanup and used them to wrap sweets for blossom viewers. Shiratamako is first smoothed with water before sifted flour and sugar form a flowing batter. Half stays white and half is tinted the palest pink, producing four pancakes of each color over low heat. They must wrap the bean paste while warm and flexible. Strongly salted food-grade leaves are soaked, passed briefly through hot water, and dried. Placing the veined underside outward lets their aroma perfume the delicate wrapper and bean filling.

Ingredients (8 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
wheat flour	50	g
shiratamako rice flour	10	g
sugar for wrappers	15	g
salt	1	g
water for wrappers	100	ml
red food coloring	0.1	g
neutral oil	3	ml
dry smooth azuki powder	65	g
sugar for bean paste	90	g
water for bean paste	130	ml
food-grade salt-preserved cherry leaves	8	leaf

Instructions

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

7 steps

1

Finish

Combine 65g dry smooth azuki powder, 90g bean-paste sugar, and 130ml water in a pan over medium-low heat.

Stir continuously until a spatula trail remains briefly, then spread on a wide plate to cool.
2

Finish

Divide the cooled bean paste into eight portions and shape 6cm ovals; keep covered.

Soak eight salt-preserved cherry leaves in cold water for 10 minutes to reduce salinity.
3

Season

In a bowl, gradually blend 100ml wrapper water into 10g shiratamako until no lumps remain.

Add 50g sifted flour, 15g sugar, and 1g salt and mix into a smooth flowing batter.
4

Step

Divide the batter evenly in half.

Dissolve 0.1g food coloring in a few drops of water and add gradually to one half for a very pale pink, leaving the other half white.
5

Heat

Spread 3ml oil in a very thin film on a heated pan and lower the heat.

Cook four 12cm white ovals for 60 seconds on the first side and 15 seconds on the second, then repeat with the pink batter.
6

Step

While each wrapper is still warm, place one bean-paste oval in the center and wrap both sides around it into a cylinder.

Set seam-side down under a damp cloth and repeat.
7

Finish

Pass the cherry leaves through boiling water for 5 seconds, cool in cold water, and dry thoroughly.

Wrap each mochi with the veined underside facing outward and serve once cooled to room temperature.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Four white and four pale-pink wrappers
Finish cue: Pass the cherry leaves through boiling water for 5 seconds, cool in cold water, and dry thoroughly.
Avoid this: Do not use leaves picked from ornamental cherry trees.