I know you like mochi ice cream. How about trying these colorful fresh fruit daifuku this time? The combination of juicy fresh fruit and sweet bean paste with soft thin mochi is so satisfying and refreshing. Moreover, this is the perfect vegan dessert as well.
What’s Daifuku?
Daiuku (大福) is a type of Japanese dessert consisting of a large mochi stuffing with a sweet filling. The sweet filling is normally red bean paste, however, there are many varieties of daifuku in Japan.
What’s Fruit Daifuku?
Fruit daifuku (フルーツ大福)…Instead of only sweet bean paste, fruit daifuku has fresh fruit inside of bean paste as a filling. Although we had strawberry daifuku for over 20 years, I haven’t seen a daifuku using other fruits besides strawberry until these days. I believe social media encourages more to create colorful beautiful daifuku as you see more and more in Japan.
Other Types of Daikufu
Mame daifuku (豆大福)
The mochi dough containing mame (豆) means beans. Black beans are commonly used for mame daifuku. The filling is usually sweet red bean paste.
Kusa daifuku(草大福)
Kusa (草) means grass in Japanese. It is made by mixing with mugwort(yomogi)
Shio daifuku (塩大福)
The word “shio” (塩) means salt in Japanese. So shio daifuku is flavored with salt and sugar.
Ichigo daifuku (イチゴ大福)
A daifuku filled with sweet bean paste and a whole strawberry. Strawberry means Ichigo (いちご) in Japanese. This daifuku doesn’t have a long history, like other daifuku. It was originated in the late 1980s, and it became really popular.
Yukimi daifuku(雪見大福)
Yukimi (雪見) translates to “snow viewing” in Japanese. The candy manufacturer “Lotte” introduced this mochi ice cream product in 1980. This is considered the first mochi ice cream.
Ingredients of Fruit Daifuku
Fruits: You can use any kind of fruit you like. In general, berries and grapes are really perfect because you don’t have to cut them, also you don’t worry about the juice coming out into the bean paste.
White Bean Paste: It is very hard to purchase white bean paste, so you have to make your own. However, you can also use red bean paste which is easier to find in the Asian grocery store. (You can check my white bean paste recipe→HOW TO MAKE SHIRO AN (白あん)/ WHITE BEAN PASTE)
Gyuhi Mochi: Sweet soft mochi which is made out of shiratamako(Japanese glutinous rice flour), sugar, and water. (check out my recipe → HOW TO MAKE GYUHI (求肥)/SWEET SOFT MOCHI)
Step by Step How to Make Fruit Daifuku
- Prepare the fruits.
- Divide the white bean paste into small sizes. I normally make it into 20g to 25g (0.7 to 0.9 oz) the size of a ball.
- Then place the fruit on, then wrap them.
- Make gyuhi mochi, and let them cool. (GYUHI (求肥)/SWEET SOFT MOCHI)
- Cut the gyuhi mochi into a double size bigger than fruit bean ball.
- Wrap the fruit bean ball by gyuhi mochi. Do not forget to use a lot of potato starch on your hands.
- Gently reshape the mochi even-circle by using both palms.
Fruit Daifuku is Morden and Moedan(萌断）
When I was in Japan a few months ago, I heard the new Japanese word “moedan (萌断)” a lot from TV shows. The word was created from the two words, which is “Moeru”(萌える) meaning, attractive or adorable and another word is from “Danmen” (断面) cross-section. For example, when they are showing the food with an appealing cross-section, they use this word. That’s being said, this fruit daifuku is the perfect “moedan” food, and you will definitely enjoy it when you cut this mochi.
Another Moedan Recipe
When you cutting the fruits mochi, it is really exciting. If you like the fruits mochi recipe, visit my FRUIT SANDO, JAPANESE FRUIT SANDWICH recipe.
Ingredients
- 10 oz (300g) of Shiro An (White Bean Paste)
- Fruits (strawberry, pineapple, dragonfruits, tangerine kiwi, grapes, fig, white strawberry)
- 1 cup (125g) of shiratama ko (glutinous rice flour)
- ⅔ cup (145g) of sugar
- 1 cup (237ml) of water
- Potato starch as need
Instructions
- Prepare the fruits. Take the stem off of the strawberry. Peel the skin for kiwi. For large fruits like mongo, cut them into small sizes.
- Divide the white bean paste into small sizes. I normally make it into 20g to 25g (0.7 to 0.9 oz) the size of a ball.
- Flat the bean paste ball by palm, then place the fruit on, then wrap them. Roll it into a circle as possible. Transfer the bean paste balls into the refrigerator until you use them.
- Make gyuhi mochi, and let them cool.
- Cut the gyuhi mochi into a double size bigger than fruit bean ball.
- Use a lot of potato starch to prevent sticking to your finger. Place the gyuhi mochi onto your palm, then place the fruit ball on the center of the mochi. Wrap them, pull up the edges into the center, and pinch it all together to close them.
- Flip the mochi upside down, and gently re-shape the mochi using both palms.
