The right stuff

Aug. 8 is National Spam Musubi Day, but did you know it’s also the inaugural National Mochi Day?

Jessica Kaneshiro, owner of business Mochi Mochi Wagashi, recalls her process to apply for a national mochi food holiday as a “spur of the moment” decision.

“I feel like you see a different food holiday every single day on social media — like National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, or National Ice Cream Day, and I was surprised there was no National Mochi Day,” she says. “There are so many different forms of mochi, and mochi ice cream is also really popular outside of Hawaii. Mochi is a staple here in Hawaii.

“I thought, ‘Maybe we can do something special for mochi,’ and I did a lot of research but didn’t find anything.”

There are several different private organizations that handle the various national food holidays, according to Kaneshiro. The approval process is selective since the organizations receive numerous inquiries. But in June, Kaneshiro obtained approval for National Mochi Day in August.

“Whoever establishes the national food day can request the date they want it to be on,” Kaneshiro says. “I wanted it to be something people can relate to, so I picked Aug. 8 in honor of the 808 state. It’s pretty easy to remember, especially in Hawaii.”

To celebrate National Mochi Day, there will be a Mochi Day Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Omiyage Market at Waimalu Shopping Center (98-020 Kamehameha Hwy.). The event will feature a variety of vendors serving up variations of mochi, ranging from chi chi dango and stuffed mochi to mochiko chicken, mochi waffle dogs and butter mochi.

“This is a good opportunity for people who love mochi to try different types from other small businesses,” Kaneshiro says.

Kaneshiro launched her mochi business at the start of this year, but she’s been making mochi since she was in high school. She says she would usually make mochi only twice a year — for New Year’s and Girls’ Day — but friends encouraged her to sell her mochi via Instagram.

“I lost my job last year due to the pandemic, and it was really difficult trying to make ends meet,” Kaneshiro recalls. “I felt so down after losing my job, and making the mochi helped me feel like I had more of a purpose. There’s been so much support from people in the community.”

Kaneshiro says her mochi comes in both modern and traditional flavors; the former includes popular choices like brownie, while the latter features matcha and black sesame.

“I have an 11-year-old daughter, so I let her taste test and choose what flavors she likes,” Kaneshiro says. “I also go by what I like, but I try to make a variety so there’s flavors whether customers prefer traditional or more contemporary mochi.

“I try to find flavors that have a good feel in your mouth,” she adds. “For instance, brownies and cookie dough will always taste good. When you have the combo of the mochi and the fillings in the middle, you have to think about how the flavors work together.”

Kaneshiro describes the mochi-making process as tedious and messy, but worth it. She uses a mochi dispenser that helps cut the mochi into pieces, but working with the mochi is both time-sensitive and time-consuming.

“The mochi is steaming hot, and I work as fast as I can to fold each of them one by one,” she explains. “If I do it too quickly, it’s too gooey; if I take too long, the mochi gets hard. It has to be the right consistency and right temperature.

“Folding each individual mochi takes a long time — cutting the piece, laying it out, putting the filling in. It takes longer because mochi sticks to everything, even your hands.”

Kaneshiro’s mochi business does a few pop-ups and sells her mochi via Instagram (@mochimochihawaii). She says the event will be her first time meeting a lot of these mochi vendors on Oahu in real life.

“I’m so glad that we’re able to bring the mochi community together and, hopefully, it will be an ongoing tradition,” she says.

Mochi Better When We’re Together

Whether you prefer chi chi dango, butter mochi, filled mochi or mochi-inspired snacks, there’s something for everyone.

Bake You A Smile

The inspiration behind this business is simple and ono: “Bake you a smile, even if just for a moment.” Bake You a Smile is known for flavors like chi chi dango ˛ lled with kulolo and kulolo butter mochi. Today, the business has more than 20 flavors and fillings. All mochi is always made the day it’s sold to ensure the freshest product possible.

Mochi Momma

Mochi Momma specializes in butter mochi — there are 21 flavors total — but her dessert menu also includes filled mochi and macarons. Top butter mochi flavors include biko (butter mochi on top of biko mochi rice), cookies and cream, ube, peanut butter and strawberry butter.

Sweet Inspirations

Megan Honda started her business nine years ago while helping at a friend’s poke shop in Wahiawa. She started making and selling her butter mochi at the shop, and tweaked the recipe to achieve the ideal flavor. Her company has evolved into a mobile mochi business that does events and catering islandwide, selling everything from butter mochi and mochi rolls to mochi parfaits, mochi waffles, brownie cookies with mochi in them and more.

Lanikai Mochi

Family-owned and -operated Lanikai Mochi features 16 unique flavors of butter mochi; the most popular are lilikoi and cinnamon roll. Its butter mochi is low in sugar and completely gluten free, made with no arti˛ cial additives and with local ingredients when possible.

Da Mochi Guys

Home of the Cocoa-tilly stuffed mochi — chocolate mochi with Chantilly ˛ lling — Da Mochi Guys can be found at pop-ups or islandwide via Da Mochi Mobile food truck. Its newest and most popular menu item this summer: Poi-pia, featuring haupia ice cream topped with four bite-sized pieces of fresh, hot, deep-fried poi mochi balls.

JuJu Mochi

The name “JuJu” represents business owner Noelle’s two daughters, as well as their family last name, Julian. JuJu Mochi is known for its stuffed mochi; Oreo, brownie and Nutter Butter are the most popular fillings. Other unique flavors include ube cookie dough, cotton candy cookie dough and haupia mac nut mochi.

Izu’s Mochi

Izu’s Mochi — owned and operated by Izumi Randles — can be found at Aloha FarmLovers Kakaako farmers market. Randles, originally from Okinawa, makes everything from scratch with the exception of peanut butter, chocolate, matcha powder and some azuki paste. Her most popular flavors are azuki strawberry, matcha, chocolate cookie and peanut butter.