What is Warabi Mochi?

Warabi mochi (わらび餅) is a sweet wagashi that treats you to a chewy and jelly texture. This Kansai specialty is a popular summer snack with its translucent and refreshing appearance.

Warabi mochi isn’t easy to buy outside Japan. With bracken starch/warabiko (わらび粉) as its key element, it isn’t easy to buy the ingredient either. These are likely the reasons why warabi mochi isn’t enjoying the same popularity as the typical mochi.

But if you’re in Japan    looking for a different wagashi experience, why not give warabi mochi a try?

What does warabi mochi taste like?

Warabi mochi itself doesn’t have any flavor. The taste always comes from the roasted soybean flour — locally known as kinako (黄粉/きなこ) — dusted on the mochi and the sugar syrup called kuromitsu (黒蜜). Some wagashi makers add red bean paste inside the warabi mochi.
Served chilled, warabi mochi’s coolness, chewiness, and melt-in-your-mouth goodness are what make it a perfect snack for hot summers.

Types of Starch Used for Making Warabi Mochi

All warabi mochi are not made equal. Some use pure bracken starch while others use substitutes. Let’s explore the types of starch used to create this wagashi.

Hon Warabiko (本わらび粉)

Hon warabiko is the purest form of bracken starch. Processing this type involves extremely arduous work, making it expensive. Producers have to harvest roots that yield only a small amount of starch. Turning it into powder form also takes a lot of time.
Normally, you would expect starch in powdered form but that doesn’t apply to hon warabiko. The starch looks like pebbles. 

Authentic hon warabiko will harden when refrigerated. That's why it needs to be at room temperature. It also has a short shelf life.

Warabi Mochiko (わらび餅粉)

Most warabi mochi nowadays no longer use pure bracken starch. People who make it use a type of starch called warabi mochiko. This ingredient doesn’t come from bracken. Instead, the starch is extracted from sweet potatoes.

Warabi mochi that uses warabi mochiko has a soft texture.

Katakuriko (片栗粉)

Another excellent choice for making warabi mochi is katakuriko or potato starch. If you need the fastest way to try warabi mochi, make it using katakuriko as this ingredient is the easiest to get. This staple ingredient in Japanese households is used as a batter for tempura and karaage. It’s pretty common in the country to use katakuriko as a substitute when making warabi mochi.

The texture of a potato starch-based warabi mochi is firmer than the ones that use warabi mochiko and hon warabiko. Moreover, it cannot contain its texture. It’s best to consume it within the day rather than save it for the next day.

How to Source These Ingredients

If you’re making warabi mochi at home, we highly recommend purchasing warabi mochiko because hon warabiko will surely be hard to find. Japanese groceries will likely carry this product. You can also try your preferred online retailer.

You can easily purchase potato starch as well, but if you want something close to the original warabi mochi texture-wise, warabi mochiko is the best choice.

Regular mochi vs. Warabi Mochi

The main difference between regular mochi and warabi mochi is the main ingredient. The former uses glutinous rice/mochigome (糯米) while the latter is made of bracken starch. 

Warabi or bracken is a kind of fern. The starch is sourced from its underground stem or rhizomes.
Warabi mochi is considered a type of mochi. But since it uses a different key ingredient, the consistency is different. With its jelly-like texture, it is softer than your typical mochi.

Is warabi mochi vegetarian?

Yes. Just by looking at the ingredients, you can already tell that warabi mochi is an excellent vegan option. The main ingredient is plant-based, the dusting it uses is made of soy, and kuromitsu is just sugar.

If you’re looking for a healthy dessert among the wagashi in Japan, you can never go wrong with warabi mochi.

Where to Buy Warabi Mochi

If you’re in Japan and ready to try out some local food and snacks, buying warabi mochi from the local shops is definitely recommended. Visiting sweets shops or wagashiya (和菓子屋) will allow you to experience the taste of authentic and high-quality warabi mochi made of the best ingredient, which is none other than hon warabiko.

Miyabian in Meguro City, Tokyo

Miyabiab’s storefront may be small, but this Japanese sweets shop has a lot to offer. This hidden gem is located in a residential neighborhood and is a few minutes away from Nakameguro station.

People admitted that they came all the way to Miyabian just to purchase warabi mochi. The store’s version of this bracken starch-based wagashi is delicate, flavorful, and soft.

Honmatsubaya in Tennoji Ward, Osaka

Located in Osaka’s must-see district, Honmatsubaya offers authentic warabi mochi with bracken starch as the key ingredient. The smooth and soft texture combined with the shop’s ambrosial kinako and kuromitsu will leave you wanting more.

Gion Tokuya in Kyoto

The Gion district is a must-visit in Kyoto and if you’re looking for a sweets shop offering warabi mochi, check out Gion Tokuya. This shop’s warabi mochi is made of hon warabiko. The hand-kneaded dessert is sweetened with wasanbon, which is fine-grained sugar made in the country.

Oimatsu Arashiyama in Kyoto

Oimatsu Arashiyama has a long history of making traditional confectionery since its establishment in 1908. The shop prides itself in bracken starch sourced from Miyazaki prefecture. Using their special ingredient creates a unique soft and chewy consistency. Aside from the classic kinako and kuromitsu combination, the shop offers other warabi mochi flavors.

Arashiyama is known for its bamboo grove, so visiting this sweets shop will surely be a delightful detour.

Senjuan Yoshimune in Nara

This sweets shop has been making wagashi for three generations now. It offers warabi mochi that combines sweet potato starch and locally sourced bracken flower. The shop warabi mochi will delight you with its melt-in-your-mouth sweetness and freshness.

Your Favorite Japanese Snack Subscription Box

Warabi mochi will always be among the offerings in a Japanese snack subscription box. You’re guaranteed to have the whole experience because all the ingredients, including the kinako and kuromitsu, are packed nicely. 

If you’re not going to Japan any time soon and you want to try warabi mochi from the land of the rising sun, a subscription box is the way to go.