しゃぼんだま
There is a warabi mochi specialty shop near the entrance of Yodobashi. I received some warabi mochi from a colleague at work and it was delicious. I want to eat more! I want to share it with my family! So, I decided to make a purchase. I visited on a weekday just after 6 pm, and there was no line, so I was able to make a smooth purchase. Apart from the classic kinako flavor, they also had other interesting warabi mochi flavors such as Uji matcha, walnut, red bean paste, and rum raisin. As seasonal limited editions, they had sudachi, young peach with white bean paste. The lineup was quite interesting, but since it was my first visit, I chose the following traditional options:
- Deep Kinako Flavor (small) 580 yen
- Rum Raisin (small) 780 yen
The packaging was elegant with a traditional Japanese style. It even came with chopsticks. When I opened the box, there was plenty of kinako powder. It was cut into 8 pieces for easy eating. When I picked it up with chopsticks, it stretched softly. When I put it in my mouth, it had a soft and elastic texture that gradually melted. The texture was quite soft. When I checked the ingredient list, it indeed used warabi powder. No gelatin-like edges, just a smooth mouthfeel. The kinako powder was very fragrant, and the black syrup was not too sweet. The deep kinako flavor is a taste that everyone would love. As for the rum raisin warabi mochi, I was curious about what it would be like, and it turned out that there were rum raisins mixed into the dough. When I put it in my mouth, I could feel the texture of the raisins and a hint of rum aroma. The combination of kinako powder and rum raisin surprisingly worked well. Although, sometimes the chunks of raisins popping up while enjoying the soft warabi mochi might feel a bit distracting... It's probably just a matter of preference. By the way, the walnut warabi mochi was similar in that chunks of walnuts were mixed into the dough. For those who want to enjoy the texture of warabi mochi from start to finish, I recommend the traditional warabi mochi without any mix-ins. The number of tapioca drink shops has decreased significantly, and recently, there has been an increase in warabi mochi drink shops. Warabi mochi drinks may become more common over time. However, personally, I prefer to enjoy warabi mochi with plenty of kinako powder like this, rather than putting it in a drink.