Authentic Okoshi Recipe Tokyo, Japan

Richly sweet and featherlight at the same time, okoshi is a simple, yet sophisticated treat which is most often sold by street vendors or in candy stores, but can also be prepared at home. First, cooked or steamed rice is air-dried until it becomes translucent. During this process, rice is stirred regularly to break down any clumps. Then, rice is deep-fried briefly in hot vegetable oil, so it expands. Once it starts floating on the surface and before it turns brown, the rice is removed and left to drain on a paper towel. Drying and frying the rice can be skipped by using store-bought puffed rice. Puffed rice is mixed with sugar syrup, or a well-known Japanese starch-based syrup mizuame, which both serve as binding agents. Butter or margarine and food colorings can also be added, along with various flavorings such as peanuts, sesame, dried fruit, soybeans, caramel, and matcha – powdered green tea. In professional preparation the okoshi mixture is being kneaded ... Read more