Mochi Magic: 50 Traditional and Modern Recipes for the Japanese Treat

Mochi Magic is a very cool introduction and tutorial recipe guide to the Japanese treat mochi written by Kaori Becker. Due out 24th Nov 2020 from Storey Publishing, it's 192 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is a creative and useful guide to making, shaping, and enjoying mochi. The book has a nice, easy to follow layout. The introductory chapter and how-to tutorial covers the basic tools, ingredients, and basic how-to recipe.  The following chapters contain the recipes and shaping tutorials grouped thematically: daifuku (filled) mochi doughs, daifuku fillings, decorating mochi, new year's pounded mochi, odango balls, and baked mochi (muffins, doughnuts, etc).

Each of the recipes includes an introductory description, ingredients listed in a bullet point sidebar (US measurements only, though there's a conversion chart in the back of the book). There's no included nutritional information.The recipes and tutorials are photographed very clearly and well. Serving suggestions and presentations are attractive and appealing.

The recipe ingredients themselves are easily sourced and will be available at most well stocked grocery stores. There are a few ingredients which might be a little more difficult to source or require an international foods store (kinako - roasted soybean flour for example), but definitely nothing that is 'way out there'.


Four stars.


Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.