Mikan Mochi (Mandarin Mochi) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

Wakayama Prefecture

Mikan Mochi (Mandarin Mochi)

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Image Source: Yoichi Saika
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Image Source: Yoichi Saika

Main lore areas

Arita City
Main ingredients used

Glutinous Rice, Mandarin orange, Sugar

History/origin/related events

Wakayama Prefecture is one of the top mandarin oranges producing prefecture. Especially Arita area, origin of ‘Arita Mikan’, most mountains are covered with mandarin plantation.
In 1574, Magoemon Ito, local farmer from Arita City, brought young mandarin trees from Yatsushiro, (current Kumamoto Prefecture), then planted in Arita. It is the origin of ‘Arita Mikan’. Arita City is mountainous and faces at the sea, and has less flat land. On the other hand, its mild climate is advantage for growing mandarin. Therefore, Kishu Domain (currently Wakayama Prefecture) promoted growing mandarin, and it became thriving. After that, the mandarin trees Ito brought were prevailed, which made Arita area ‘small mandarin in Kishu’ producing area. In 1634, Tobei Takigawara, a tangerine farmer, delivered Kishu mandarin to Edo (current Tokyo) for the first time, Arita mandarin became popular in Edo.
When they could not ship due to bad weather in November, 1685, Bunzaemon Kinokuniya, a local merchant, leaned the price of mandarin got skyrocketing in Edo. Then he delivered mandarin by ship in the bad weather and made fortune.
‘Mikan Mochi’ (mandarin mochi) is developed during the research of the local cuisine. Mandarins are placed on the glutinous rice and steamed together, then pounded together after the skin of mandarins are removed. It has beautiful color and smells good, and you can enjoy refreshing sour flavor.
Opportunities and times of eating habits

White mandarin flowers burst into bloom in the whole fields and bring great flagrance in Arita City in May. Trees bear yellow fruits in autumn. Farmers start harvesting ‘Goku Wase’ (extremely early maturing) mandarin in October, ‘Wase’ (early maturing) in November, and ‘Ban sei’ (medium maturing) in December.
How to eat

It is soft when you eat it as it is. When you toast the surface, you will enjoy two different texture – crispy outside, melty inside.
Efforts for Preservation and Succession

(Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)
There are variety of mochis (mochi mixed with skin, bite-size one, etc.) sold as a local specialty. Also, some mochis are registered in ‘Premier Wakayama’.

RECIPE

Ingredients (20 servings)

Glutinous rice 1.4kg
Mandarin orange 5~6
Lemon A little
Sugar 80g

How to cook

1. Wash the glutinous rice a day before cooking and soak in water over night.
2. Drain water and put the rice into a steamer. Put whole mandarins on the rice, then steam together for one hour.
3. Put steamed rice, mandarins without skins, and sugar into a mochi maker, and pound well.
4. Add lemon to freshly pounded mochi, and make small mochi balls to eat.

provider : "Let's tell and make the most of Wakayama's food ingredients and food culture" (Wakayama Prefecture Life Research Group Liaison Council, Wakayama Prefecture)

Recipes vary depending on the region and home.

Contact

Food Cultures Office, Overseas Market Development and Food Cultures Division, Food Industry Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Tel:+81-3-3502-5516

Mikan Mochi (Mandarin Mochi) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

Wakayama Prefecture