Fun fact: there are 16 types of traditional mochi. And if you’re a fan of mochi, you might try to list off all the ones you’ve tried – daifuku, dango, kinako mochi, etc. But have you tried drinkable mochi, yet?
Drinkable mochi is the newest trend in boba shops this year. Drinkable mochi is made from basic ingredients and can be sipped through a boba straw. Add this easy topping to any of your milk tea drinks at home for an instant upgrade!
It’s a fun, easy treat to make if you want a change-up in your regular drink routine! Read on for the recipe!
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Table of Contents
What is the difference between mochi and drinkable mochi?
Mochi is a type of sweet, chewy Japanese rice cake that uses short-grain glutinous rice, water, and sugar as a base. Traditionally, the rice is pounded into a sticky paste and shaped into a round ball. It is delightfully squishy and sometimes contains a filling (like red bean paste).
Drinkable mochi is a type of mochi that is soft enough that it becomes sippable through a straw. Compared to traditional mochi confections, this is probably the softest version you’ll encounter, making it perfect for enjoying in a drink (especially boba tea)!
When served warm and fresh, you can sip it through your boba straw. It tastes sweet and feels incredibly soft as it melts away like snow in your mouth.
As time passes and it cools in your boba drink, the mochi will naturally thicken up and become pleasantly chewy.
To note, boba shops keep the drinkable mochi soft by using tons of sugar or commercial additives that prevent the mochi from hardening. For the purpose of this homemade recipe, we tried not to add excessive sugar or include additives, focusing more on a delicious and “not too sweet” experience.
With that said, when the mochi thickens you can break it up and keep sipping it through the straw, or you can try grabbing a spoon and eating up the mochi!
Does Drinkable Mochi Taste Good?
So the question you may be thinking is: is it actually good?
Personally, I find it as a yummy switch-up from my usual boba orders. This topping lets me enjoy the chewy texture while drinking without tiring my jaw like boba.
However, I feel like this boba topping has been a hit or miss for some people. You’ll just have to try it to find out if you like it!
To my knowledge, only a handful of boba shops offer this topping in the US right now, and because it’s so new, it’s unfamiliar to eat mochi that’s soft enough to drink. It’s a unique topping that’s hard to compare to classic mochi. But I think that in time, drinkable mochi will become a popular topping!
Is Drinkable Mochi Healthy?
Like regular mochi, drinkable mochi is good in moderation, but too much of it in one sitting may imbalance your daily diet. As it is a sweet treat, drinkable mochi is high in carbohydrates and is a dense source of calories. When adding it to an already sweet drink like boba milk tea, one must be careful to not accidentally use too much as this may result in one eating several servings of mochi.
In addition, there have been reports of people choking on mochi. While this mainly affects elderly people, drinkable mochi poses the same choking hazard as regular mochi. Care must be taken when consuming mochi to avoid accidentally inhaling or choking on it, so definitely chew it as much as possible before swallowing.
Ingredients
While traditional mochi is made from pounding glutinous rice, you can skip this step by using rice flour! Mochiko rice flour is one of the most commonly available rice flour that are perfect for making mochi at home. You can find it at local Asian grocery stores or even on Amazon! While you can try substituting it with regular rice flour, the texture of the resulting mochi will not be as soft, and it may be difficult to drink.
- ½ cup mochiko rice flour
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup coconut milk – Coconut milk does a wonderful job at balancing the sweetness, since mochi requires lots of sugar to stay soft.
- 1 cup ultrafine sugar – If you don’t have ultrafine sugar, you may use regular sugar but keep in mind that it may take longer for the sugar to dissolve.
How To Make Drinkable Mochi
Steam the mochi
- In a heatproof bowl, combine mochiko rice flour, water, and coconut milk. Stir well.
- Cover and steam for 20 minutes.
- Remove the mochi from the steamer and transfer to a nonstick pan.
Dissolve sugar into the mochi
- Heat the pan on low. Add sugar to the mochi, a third at a time. Continuously mix until the sugar becomes completely dissolved.
Serve with milk tea
- To serve, add spoonfuls of the drinkable mochi to your favorite milk tea and sip it with your boba straw. It will thicken as it cools, so enjoy it with a spoon.
Final Thoughts
In the mood for a unique boba topping? This drinkable mochi will add a sweet and chewy twist to your usual milk tea!
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Drinkable Mochi
Equipment
- steamer basket
Ingredients
- ½ cup mochiko rice flour
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 1 cup ultrafine sugar
Instructions
Steam the mochi
- In a heatproof bowl, combine mochiko rice flour, water, and coconut milk. Stir well.
- Cover and steam for 20 minutes.
- Remove the mochi from the steamer and transfer to a nonstick pan.
Dissolve sugar into the mochi
- Heat the pan on low. Add sugar to the mochi, a third at a time. Continuously mix until the sugar becomes completely dissolved.
Serve with milk tea
- To serve, add spoonfuls to your favorite milk tea and sip it with your boba straw. It will thicken as it cools, so enjoy it with a spoon.
Notes
- If you don’t have ultrafine sugar, you may use regular sugar but keep in mind that it may take longer for the sugar to dissolve.
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Click here to review our Content Permissions Policy.References & Further Reading
https://www.byfood.com/blog/travel-tips/the-beginners-guide-to-mochi
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