Tirol Chocolate Flavour #9: Kinako Nama Mochi

9. Kinako Nama Mochi (2018)

Most people know Japanese mochi as the soft, slightly gooey, but chewy rice cakes often used in Japanese sweets. Plain mochi is usually sold in stores as a hard block that becomes soft when heated in the microwave or over a grill. Nama mochi is mochi that has just been pounded and never allowed to dry. It has a very fluffy and soft texture compared to the chewy mochi.

One way that Japanese like to eat mochi is by dipping it in a mix of sugar and kinako powder. Kinako is soy beans that have been dried by roasting and turned into a fine powder. It's toasty, peanuty flavour goes well in many Japanese desserts, and even mixed with milk or yogurt. Tirol Chocolate has a flavour that mimics this mochi and kinako combo perfectly.

Flavours: toasty kinako, mochi rice, white chocolate

The filling has a soft mochi texture, as though it is freshly made mochi, it is slightly chewy and sticky. The outer layer of  sweet kinako chocolate goes well to bring out the rice flavor of the mochi, which seems to also be covered with some kinako powder. Overall, a comforting “wa” 和 (Japanese-style) flavour.