Mochi mania

Newly refurbished Tjing Tjing Torii in Cape Town’s city centre is making a name for itself with its Tokyo-inspired streetfood – from pork, sesame and ginger gyoza to tempura temaki. Food editor Abigail’s hot tip? Save space for the golden, glutinous moch

Mochi are Japanese rice balls, traditionally made by pounding and folding rice, before cooking it in a steamer. Pastry chef Adri Louw makes hers using glutinous rice flour, a method inspired by choux pastry, where the dough is added to boiling water and beaten.

Once ready, the dough is kneaded – or rather pounded. “My colleague from Zimbabwe taught me how to pound pap and I realised it’s sort of the same motion used to make mochi.” Turns out, it works perfectly.

The dough is then divided into balls, and – instead of being steamed – deep-fried in hot oil for 7 minutes until golden brown.

The cooked balls are rolled in caster sugar and served with a Valrhona chocolate dipping sauce made with milk infused with sansho peppercorns (the name for Szechuan pepper in Japan).

Look out for more amazing mochi: Adri is also experimenting with steamed, ice cream-filled mochi balls, and with her own raspberry-and-white bean paste daifuku –a mochi ball traditionally filled with red or white bean paste and a whole strawberry. Instagram alert!