Kiwi Daifuku Mochi Recipe

Daifuku or daifuku mochi is a stuffed mochi dessert from Japan. This kiwi daifuku mochi is a fun and fruity flavor twist on traditional mochi sweets. Reminiscent of fruit mochi you can find in Hawai’i, this recipe brings the best of chewy island-y desserts right to your kitchen.

What is Daifuku?

Daifuku is a Japanese dessert consisting of a thin layer of chewy mochi rice dough with some sort of sweet filling. The most traditional daifuku are filled with red bean paste, but it is also common to find daifuku with strawberries or other fruit in the center as well. Daifuku look like round mochi balls about the size of a golf ball.

Is Daifuku the Same as Mochi?

The short answer is no. The more complex answer is… it depends.

In Japan, when you say the word, “mochi” by itself, it refers to a rice cake made from pounding cooked glutinous rice (mochikome) and no other added ingredients. If you are talking about a dessert or snack made from glutinous rice flour (like mochiko), it will have a more specific name. Daifuku is one example of a dessert made from glutinous rice flour.

However, in Hawai’i and among other Japanese American communities in the mainland, it is common to refer to daifuku as just “mochi.” I just figure this vocabulary difference between Japan and Japanese Americans is due to dialectical changes as these communities have evolved in their separate locations throughout the generations, but it can obviously lead to some confusion for people who are trying to learn about Japanese food culture in America. Many Japanese Americans I know don’t realize the difference in terminology from America and Japan.

To complicate matters even more, other countries throughout Asia also have their own “mochi” desserts. The word “mochi” has become a part of many different languages around the world. And as language naturally evolves, they don’t all adhere to the same definitions as in Japan.

So bottom line is, when you go to Japan, know that “mochi” and “daifuku” can mean two separate things when you communicate with locals there.

If you’d like to learn more about all the different nuances in mochi, check out my Ultimate Guide to Mochi post!

Is Kiwi Daifuku from Japan?

Probably not. Kiwi is grown in Japan, but I haven’t seen kiwi daifuku in Japan before. Although of course, it’s always possible that it’s the local specialty of some city I’ve never been to! And with social media fueling inventive food creations around the world, I’m sure people are making kiwi daifuku in Japan now. But I would guess that it probably didn’t originate there.

Although I don’t have a definitive source, I first saw kiwi daifuku in Hawai’i! Hawai’i is known (at least among Japanese Americans) for having fun fruit mochi flavors and tropical twists on daifuku.

Special Ingredients for Making Daifuku Mochi

Can I let you in on a secret? Almost all my daifuku recipes are pretty much the same. I just swap out the fruit in the middle. So while making daifuku does require a few potentially hard-to-find ingredients, it’s worth getting the right stuff. Because then you can make whatever kind of daifuku you like! All the time!

The first thing you’ll need is the right glutinous rice flour. I use shiratamako, because it results in the softest mochi dough (by the way, mochi dough is also known as gyuhi). If you can’t find shiratamako, mochiko can be used instead.

The second thing you’ll need is some sweet bean paste. I like using storebought white bean paste. Unfortunately, I cannot find this on Amazon, so if you don’t have a Japanese market near you, you’re going to have to either make this from scratch or sub a different ingredient. Red bean paste seems to be much easier to find!

Lastly, I use katakuriko for dusting my mochi. Katakuriko is the Japanese word for potato starch. It keeps your gyuhi from sticking to everything. Some people substitute cornstarch, but I feel like the taste and texture is just ever so slightly off.

You can find shiratamako and katakuriko on Amazon!

Tips for Making Kiwi Daifuku

Bean paste and gyuhi (mochi dough) don’t mix well with super juicy fruits. The added water makes everything slippery, goopy, and difficult to wrap. So here are some tips for success.

Firstly, don’t wrap the kiwi in bean paste until the last minute. As the bean paste sits on the kiwi, it will absorb the moisture and become a sticky mess. Cut all your kiwi chunks and set aside. Then roll all your bean paste balls and set aside.

Do the same with your gyuhi too. Cut and roll each into a flattened pancake, keeping the pieces under a damp towel when you’re not working with them. When you’re ready to assemble, work really quickly. Flatten your shiroan ball into a large pancake, wrapping the kiwi with as little handling as possible. Then plop it in the middle of your gyuhi and do the same thing. The less you handle the daifuku, the less room for goopy, sticky errors.

More Fruity Mochi Recipes

Ready to try your hand at other fruit daifuku or mochi recipes? Take a look at these:

• Mandarin orange daifuku
• Mango daifuku
• Green grape daifuku
• Mango coconut chi chi dango