Ichigo Daifuku (Rice Cake with Strawberry)

A couple of weeks ago, Shirokiya Department Store was having one of it's usual promotions.  This time, it featured food and products from Hokkaido, Japan.  There were lots of people milling around, sampling the different foods and making purchases of goods that would only be available for a limited time.

Through the crowd, I noticed a sign for ichigo daifuku (rice cake with strawberry, US$5.40, 3 pieces), but there was none left.  They were all sold out!

It was then that I noticed the two men furiously preparing more...

It was hard for them to keep up with the demand.  I had to wait about 10 minutes to get my share to take home!  Was it going to be worth the wait?

Once home, I carefully took one of the mochi out of the container.  If you've never eaten ichigo daifuku before, it's mochi (glutinous rice cake), that's wrapped around a filling of strawberry covered with koshi-an (smooth azuki bean paste).  It's then rolled in katakuriko (potato starch) to keep it from sticking to everything.

This mochi looked like it would taste just as good as the one I can get from Two Ladies Kitchen in Hilo.  You can read a newspaper article about Two Ladies Kitchen here.

Here's what it looks like on the inside...

The strawberry was fresh, sweet and maybe just a bit over-ripe.  There was a lot of smooth, SWEET azuki bean paste as well.  In fact, I think it was a bit too sweet for my taste.  It was definitely a lot sweeter than what I've had in the past.  It must have been a combination of too sweet, over-ripe strawberry combined with the too sweet azuki bean paste.  I would normally like the strawberry to be a bit on the tart side to balance the flavor of the sweet bean paste.  Oh well....I enjoyed it while I had the chance.  I guess I'll just have to make the trip to Hilo...and soon!

Comments

[Mariko]

Oh man, I LOVE manju and mochi! I remember getting ichigo daifuku just once in Okayama, which is really stupid. I mean, why didn't I get it EVERY DAY? Can't wait to hear about your Hilo manju trip!

[Reid]

Hi Mariko,

Thanks for dropping by. I love ichigo daifuku but this one was just a bit too sweet for me. I can't wait to go to Hilo and get the mochi from 2 Ladies Kitchen. It's made fresh everyday and I think it's some of the best in the islands.

[elise]

There is nothing better than fresh mochi, yum! I've never seen this combination before, but every trip I make to Japan I try to come back with some mochi bean cake delicacy.

[Reid]

Hi Elise,

I've not found it everywehere in Japan either, but it is available. You should try this sometime it's actually quite nice if done correctly. This was just a little too sweet for my tastes.

[gracie]

hi! i just wanted to let you know that i absolutely love your sight. my bf made a day trip over to hilo a few months back and brought back trays of mochi from 2 ladies. it was girl's day so he was lucky to get some without calling in an order first. their strawberry mochi was the best i've ever tasted...man, this entry really makes me want to make chi chi dango right now!

[Reid]

Hi Gracie,

Thanks for the compliment and welcome! Isn't the mochi from Two Ladies Kitchen the best? I can't wait to go to Hilo so that I can have some.

I haven't made chi chi dango in a while. Have you tried the ones from Nisshodo? I always order those for Boys' and Girls' Days.

[Angela]

Oh wow! I've never seen moochi with strawberries before! This looks absolutely wonderful Reid - I wonder if I can find something like this in the UK?

[Reid]

Hi Angela,

Thanks for dropping by. This is good, but was actually a bit sweet for my tastes. You may be able to find this at a Japanese department store if there is one. Shirokiya in Hawaii is part of the Tokyu department stores in Japan.

[rep]

Usually, Japanese eat Ichigo-Daifuku with hot and bitter green tea. So we Japanese can enjoy very sweet manju comfortably.

[Clinton]

Quite unusual Reid. I've never seen manju with fresh fruit inside especially here in Los Angeles. We have several Japanese confectionery places here in Gardena and in Little Tokyo but most serve the typical manju with the sweet bean fillings.

Discovered Nisshodo's several years ago when friends brought back omiyagi which included chi chi dangos from Honolulu. We used to eat it as kids but never knew where they got them from. Actually had a difficult time trying to find the place which was not visible from the street like normal bakeries. It was sort of like in a warehouse district way in the back. It was worth the effort anyway. They even packed it for you to take back to the mainland. Perfect stuff to give relatives!

[Reid]

Hi rep,

Thanks for visiting my blog. =)

Ahhh...I guess that explains it then. I never knew why these were so sweet. It makes sense now! Thanks for the information.

Hi Clinton,

I always buy the chi chi dango from Nisshodo. I believe that theirs is the best. Quite inexpensive as well, I believe it's US$3.75 per pound. I normally order it for boys/girls day to take to the office. They are actually located right across the street from HCC near the old Gems Kapalama.

There is actually one very good shop located in Hilo. It's called Two Ladies Kitchen. They make lots of fresh mochi and manju. Their specialty is the ichigo daifuku.

[Clinton]

Thanks Reid.
I always look for the Spot Inn Drive In next to the (I think it's the Kapalama Stream) river and drive in the back. We ate at the Drive In couple of times with the kids and notice the huge portions they give. I got the special of the day which was sweet sour spare ribs which was too much to eat with the rice and mac salad. What Ireally made me giddy was the Hawaiian fruit punch which I haven't had in decades. I remember my father getting the syrup at Harders when he was in the wholesale business. Brought back old memories of W&M Hamburger in Kaimuki after school.

[Reid]

Hi Clinton,

Spots is good, but I haven't been there since '95. I used to work nearby, but have since moved on to another job. They always gave a lot of food for a good price. In fact, I'm surprised they are still there. That location was pretty bad for a while. Places opening and closing every couple of years.

W&M is great...I'm going to have to get there soon!

[renee]

...have you heard of the mochi lady? (happy hearts mochi) --- she's based in honolulu and diamond head market & grill just started carrying her stuff. i think it's just as good as the hilo ones... ichigo daifuku, ono haupia and a variety of other flavors --- they're pretty too! =)

[Reid]

Hi Renee,

Thank you for visiting my blog!

I've never heard of the mochi lady, but thanks to you, I'm going to check out the mochi at Diamond Head Market. Look for a report here soon!

Thanks again!

[Mike]

Can I get Ichigo Daifuku always at Shirokiya? It looks REALLY good. Mochi is awesome, and strawberries are my favorite fruits.

[renee]

hi reid! =) i was googling something when i ran across this entry... just wondering if you ever got a chance to try the mochi lady's stuff and what you thought of it... she does have a website too: www.mochilady.com it's still being sold at diamond head market and grill as far as i know.

[sue]

I just made this the other day. It was real hard work. Because the dough was very hard to handle. (too sticky)
Since I am not a professional of making this, ichigo daihuku on your pictures looks better. :)
My red bean paste was kind of rough, because I didn't boil the beans long enough.

Just in case, you are curious about my version, here is a link.
http://mykoreankitchen.com/2007/02/02/strawberry-rice-cakes-for-my-valentine/