Ohagi (Botamochi)

To be honest, I am a sweet tooth person and I consider myself lucky when we were given chance to have hands on to make one of the Japanese dessert (Ohagi) during the Japanese Food Value Chain tour to one of the company, O-I-SHII-I Agri Shop in Kyotango, Kyoto Prefecture. From what I have learnt, the ingredients to make Ohagi are quite simple which may only consists of pounded rice, sweetened azuki bean paste and powdered soy bean as I observed.

There were two types of Ohagi that we made during the tour. First one was a ball of pounded rice covered with sweetened azuki bean paste whereas the other was a ball of sweetened azuki bean paste covered with pounded rice and then dusted with soy bean powder. For me, both types of Ohagi are delicious but I prefer the one covered with sweetened azuki bean paste more. We actually went into the preparation room by different groups and the instructor was impressed of how good our group is in making the Ohagi.

Interestingly, this dessert is called as Botamochi when eaten during spring but it is called as Ohagi when eaten during fall. Japanese people usually make this dessert as an offering when they visit their ancestral grave sites. However they also enjoy eating as it is as well.

This is one of my precious experiences during in Japan and I treasure it so much. Of course I can make it by myself at home but for sure it would not taste as authentic as the one in Japan. Therefore, I would love to eat it again if I were to visit Japan again next time.

Me with the Ohagi I made

Our group together with the instructor making the Ohagi in the preparation room

The two types of Ohagi that I made