Agemochi: A Traditional Japanese Fried Rice Cracker
As you may already know, Senbei (煎餅), Okaki (おかき), and Arare (あられ) are traditional rice crackers widely enjoyed by us.
Those Japanese snacks are relatively well-known in many countries, but have you ever heard of Agemochi (揚餅)?
Agemochi (揚餅)
Agemochi (揚餅) or Age Mochi/Fried Mochi is also one of Japan’s favorite rice crackers made from Mochi (餅) deep-fried in oil and brushed with a sweet soy sauce.
For the unfamiliar, Mochi is a plain white rice cake made from glutinous rice called Mochi-Gome (餅米), and as you can guess, Age Mochi is an old-fashioned, simple snack.
When Japanese home cooks don’t use a package of Mochi all at once, some like to make Agemochi with the leftovers.
The texture differs depending on the oil temperature, the frying time, and the Mochi’s thickness. But Agemochi is often crunchy or crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
Recipe
Last, let me introduce an easy recipe for those who want to try these crackers at home.
- As preparation, first, cut some Mochi into bite-size chunks.
- Then, heat a pan of some vegetable oil to 180 degrees C (356 degrees F), and fry the pieces until puffing up.
- Apply the seasoning mixture of a 1:1 ratio of sugar to soy sauce on the dough, and Enjoy!
