Description
Butter mochi combines textures and flavors of its two main influences, mochi and cake. It features a similar chewy ("Q") texture as mochi, [6] but less pronounced through the addition of traditional cake ingredients such as eggs and butter as well as leavening introduced via baking powder. [7]
The specific proportions of butter, sugar, eggs, and milk used in mochi determine the texture, which can approach in extremes that of custard or poundcake. [5] Varying the milk used -- fresh, evaporated, coconut, a combination -- changes the flavor, sometimes resulting in nutty or caramel-like flavors. [5]
Unlike other mochi, Butter mochi is baked rather than steamed, [7] lending it a color and texture comparable to blondies and chess pie. [6]
History
The exact origins of butter mochi are unknown. [1] [5] According to the New York Times, recipes exist in community cookbooks all around the Hawaiian islands, including in pamphlets which date back "generations" (as of 2021). [5] Rice flour, the main component of the dish, became the main starch of Hawaii due to Japanese immigration, [2] and among other ideas the dish has been proposed to have Japanese origins. [8] However, according to Rachel Laudan, neither the ingredient mixture or the cooking method appears traditionally Japanese. [1] She speculates that it could possibly be an invention of Hawaiian home economists, employed by "the gas or electric companies", prompted by the introduction of ovens. [1]
It is also possible that it is a descendant of bibingka, a similar cake from Filipino cuisine. [1] [9] [2] Traditionally, bibingka was made with wet rice flour, coconut milk, sugar, eggs, and natural yeasts, in a container over the fire with embers on the lid; in modern times baking powder replaces yeast and an oven replaces the container. [1] Some Filipinos in Hawaii use bibingka as a "loose term", occasionally referring to butter mochi. [5]
Recipes in modern Hawaiian cookbooks include influences from various cultures, such as adding sweetened bean paste (Japanese), adding black beans or cheese (Filipino), or adding cocoa powder (a haole addition). [1]
This page is based on this
Wikipedia article Text is available under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Variant marbled with a blueberry filling
As served with fruit
Entire tray after baking
