Mochi

No, regular starch or wheat flour won't work — mochi requires glutinous rice flour (mochiko or shiratamako) to achieve its characteristic chewy, elastic texture. Cornstarch will turn out too brittle, and wheat flour will make a completely different dough. Glutinous rice flour is available at Asian grocery stores and in large supermarkets.

Mochi works wonderfully with many fillings: strawberry or mango jam, matcha cream, Nutella, peanut butter, ice cream (mochi ice cream), soft cheese with honey, or sweetened sesame paste. The main requirement is that the filling should be thick enough not to leak — liquid fillings should be pre-frozen.

Freshly made mochi are best eaten on the day they're made — they harden over time. Store at room temperature wrapped in cling film or in an airtight container for up to 2 days. In the refrigerator they last up to 5 days but harden faster; microwave for 10–15 seconds to restore softness. Mochi with ice cream filling are stored in the freezer.

Mochi dough is very sticky by nature — that's a property of glutinous rice flour. To work with it, generously dust your hands, the work surface, and rolling pin with potato starch or cornstarch. Do not use wheat flour as a dusting — it will make the surface rough. It's also helpful to slightly dampen your hands.

On the stovetop: mix glutinous rice flour with water and sugar, cook over low heat stirring constantly until the dough becomes transparent and elastic, about 10–12 minutes. In a steamer: pour the batter into a greased bowl and steam for 20–25 minutes until the dough becomes translucent. Both methods give a result identical to the microwave version.