Sakuramochi facts for kids
Sakuramochi (Kanto-style)
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| Place of origin | Japan |
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| Main ingredients | Sweet pink-colored rice cake, red bean paste, pickled cherry blossom leaf |
| Other information | Traditionally consumed on Hinamatsuri and at Hanami |
Sakuramochi (error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help)) is a special Japanese sweet. It's a type of wagashi, which means traditional Japanese confection. This yummy treat is made from a sweet, pink-colored rice cake called mochi. Inside, it has a delicious red bean paste known as anko. The whole thing is wrapped in a pickled cherry blossom (sakura) leaf.
People in different parts of Japan make sakuramochi in slightly different ways. In the Kanto area, they use a special rice flour called shiratama-ko (error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help)) for the rice cake. But in the Kansai area, they use dōmyōji-ko (error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help)), which is a type of glutinous rice flour.
This sweet is a popular snack during the spring season. You'll often see it eaten on Girl's Day, also known as hinamatsuri, which is on March 3rd. It's also a favorite treat at hanami parties, where people gather to enjoy looking at cherry blossoms.
Some people like to eat the pickled cherry blossom leaf along with the mochi, while others prefer to take it off. It's totally up to you!
Different Kinds of Sakuramochi
Sakuramochi can look and taste a bit different depending on where it's made in Japan.
Kanto-Style Sakuramochi
The sakuramochi made in the Kanto area has a smoother, thinner rice cake. Outside of Kanto, this style is sometimes called chōmeiji-mochi (error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help)). This name comes from a temple near the shop that first started selling these sweets. You can often find Kanto-style sakuramochi sold alongside Kansai-style ones in supermarkets.
Kansai-Style Sakuramochi
The sakuramochi from the Kansai area is often called dōmyōji-mochi (error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help)) or just dōmyōji (error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help)). This name comes from another temple that created the special flour used for this type of mochi. The Kansai-style mochi is usually thicker and has a slightly bumpy texture because of the glutinous rice flour used. When people just say "Sakuramochi," they are often talking about the Kansai-style, as it's more widely available across Japan.
See also
