Mikan daifuku is a Japanese confection consisting of a thin layer of mochi wrapped around an entire mandarin orange! In between the orange and the mochi lies a layer of sweet white bean paste, or shiroan. The best part? When you cut into the daifuku just right, you get a beautiful cross section of mochi, bean paste, and mandarin orange! Making mikan daifuku is easier than you think, so keep reading! *Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links.
Daifuku vs. Mochi
Before we even get started, I need to address a question I get every single time I post a daifuku recipe: What’s the difference between daifuku and mochi?
I touch on this in my Ultimate Guide to Mochi post, so definitely go check that out for an in depth guide to mochi terminology. But in short, mochi is glutinous rice that has been pounded into a cake. Full stop. Daifuku is a dessert that is made from glutinous rice flour to form a stretchy dough called gyuhi. This gyuhi wraps around some sort of filling, traditionally bean paste and maybe a strawberry.
What gets confusing is that many Americans refer to daifuku as “mochi.” However, if you go to Japan and ask for mochi, you will only be pointed to pounded rice cake. My Japanese friends would like for me to strongly suggest that you use the term “daifuku.”
Mikan vs. Mandarin vs. Tangerine
Every time I write a blog post, I end up learning about obscure food topics. This post is no exception! As I was researching the mikan daifuku, I noticed a lot of people called this citrus different names. Some said mikan was tangerine. Others said it was a satsuma. Others said it was a mandarin orange.
Well, thanks to good ol’ Google, I have an answer for you! A mandarin is a type of orange that includes tangerines and satsumas. However, tangerines and satsumas are different, as this blog post explains. Mikan, specifically the unshu mikan, refers to satsuma oranges. So, a mikan daifuku technically should use a satsuma orange.
Full disclosure: I actually had originally intended to make a daifuku with a cutie, so it would be less gigantic. But then after I started making the mochi layer, I realized I only had a bag of mandarin oranges at home. Said bag of mandarin oranges from Trader Joe’s was not labeled with a more specific variety, so… probably not a true mikan daifuku. Hence, I have labeled this a more generic Mandarin Orange Daifuku. Well, turned out to be a winner anyway!
Can You Find Mikan Daifuku in Japan?
Soooo my original inspiration for this daifuku was actually the Two Ladies Kitchen daifuku in Hilo, Hawaii. They stuff mochi with all sorts of fun fruits that change by season! That’s why I had originally thought to do a cutie (see short, very boring story above) when I accidentally wound up with mandarin oranges.
BUT it all turned out okay, because yes, whole mikan daifuku is a thing in Japan! You can specifically find it in the Ehime prefecture, which is known for mikan.
By the way, have any of you seen Old Enough on Netflix? It’s known as “hajimete no otsukai” in Japan and has been running for over 30 years. My four year old is OBSESSED with watching it, and one of the episodes is set in Ehime. There’s a kid whose family runs a mikan orchard, and he has to make mikan juice for his errand. So then we had to let my daughter make mikan juice... I realize that this is now a total tangent and not really related to mochi confections. But that’s what I think of when I hear mikan now!
Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, yes, mikan daifuku. Totally a thing. My version is only a little different in that I make my mochi layer with orange juice to add EXTRA orange-ness. But actually, you could just sub the orange juice for water and make a more standard mikan daifuku.
Ingredients for Making Daifuku
Daifuku really has a simple list of ingredients: shiratamako, water, sugar, bean paste, and whatever fruit you use. I do have a few notes, though, as there is a lot of misinformation on other food blogs.
First off, the bean paste. There are tons of recipes for making homemade red or white bean paste. They are great! But I am busy. So I buy mine at my local Japanese market. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find this on Amazon, so if you don’t live near a Japanese market, you may have to make your own. OR sub something else (sometimes I use Marzipan!!).
Secondly, and most importantly, the glutinous rice flour. Many food blogs will tell you to use mochiko, and you absolutely can! But the bestest, softest daifuku will be made with shiratamako. They’re made from the same rice (mochikome), but they’re milled differently. Shiratamako is also more expensive and harder to find, but it IS on Amazon. If you are able, I highly recommend using shiratamako.
Lastly, you’ll notice that I give measurements in weight, not volume. Making daifuku is one of those things that I think really pays off to be more precise. Luckily, even if you don’t have a kitchen scale, it’s pretty easy to guestimate. My bag of shiratamako comes in 200g, so I know if I want 100g, I just use half the bag.
Okay wait, actually one last ingredient I forgot to mention: katakuriko. Katakuriko is potato starch, and it’s the white powder you always see dusted on mochi. It keeps the mochi from sticking! Other food blogs say to use cornstarch, and you can use it as a substitution. However, I do think the taste and texture is just slightly off with cornstarch. If you want Japanese-tasting mochi, use katakuriko.
Making Mochi in the Microwave
One last tip before we get into the recipe: make the mochi dough in the microwave! You can absolutely steam it, and sometimes I still do. Steaming mochi is the “correct” way to make it. I usually do it on the stovetop for 15 minutes.
However, lately I’ve been making my mochi layer in the microwave. It only takes two and a half minutes! So fast! And only one dish! Just be sure to cover your dish very tightly so the steam doesn’t escape.
And one last super tip: USE A DAMP DISH CLOTH. If you’ve ever made mochi before, you know how sticky it is. HOWEVER. Cooked mochi doesn’t stick to a wet cloth!
I know! Genius, right? I think I saw it on a Japanese cooking show once, and that’s how I learned to do it. So I usually line my dish with a wet cloth, pour my mochi batter in, cover, and microwave. After it’s done, the mochi plops right out of the cloth. It makes cleanup so much easier!
More Fun Mochi Recipes
That’s all I have on this recipe, but if you have any questions, definitely let me know in the comments. For more fun mochi confections check these out:
- Rose Coconut Chi Chi Dango
- Strawberry Marzipan Daifuku
- Birthday Cake Daifuku
- Mint Chocolate Daifuku
- Tricolor Chi Chi Dango
- Mango Coconut Chi Chi Dango
- Rainbow Mochi
Mandarin Orange Daifuku Mochi (Mikan Daifuku)
Ingredients
- 3 mandarin oranges
- 210 g white bean paste (shiroan)
- 100 g shiratamako can substitute mochiko
- 20 g sugar 2 tbsp
- 100 g orange juice
- 1 drop orange food coloring optional
- katakuriko (potato starch) for dusting
Instructions
- Peel your oranges and divide shiroan into three balls, 70g each.
- Using your hands, flatten a ball of shiroan and wrap it around your orange. Repeat for the other two oranges.
- Set aside the wrapped oranges while you prepare the mochi.
- Add shiratamako, sugar, orange juice, and food coloring in a bowl. Mix to combine.
- Transfer mochi batter to microwave safe bowl (I line my bowl with a damp washcloth) and cover well with plastic wrap, another dish, or other cover. Microwave for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
- Carefully dump cooked mochi onto a surface lightly dusted with katakuriko. Divide into three pieces. While you work with one piece, keep the others covered with a damp cloth so they don't dry out.
- Flatten one piece (either with a small rolling pin or your hand), and place wrapped orange in the center. Remember if you want to cut a nice cross section view of the orange, you need to place the orange on its side.
- Wrap the mochi around the orange, pinching the edges to seal them. Dust in katakuriko and you're done! Daifuku should be eaten the day they are made.
2 comments
[…] Orange Daifuku […]
[…] Mikan Daifuku […]