Bourbon – Chestnut (Mont Blanc) Mochi
Mont Blanc for those who haven’t tried it, is a chestnut based cake. It’s made by pureeing chestnuts and forming them into a thin, noodle like texture on top of the cake itself along with some cream, and giving it the semblance of a snow capped mountain, hence named after Mont Blanc. Anyone who has ever learned or tried to make this will gain a true appreciation for how much effort goes into making this. I don’t even have the wherewithal to even try. Which might be for the best as I’d probably get fat. At least that’s the excuse I go with to avoid baking.
Bourbon so far has a very good track record with their prepackaged mochis, far more than it has a right to be honestly. Each time I try it, it amazes me how tasty they are and how addictive the texture is. I love that these come in nice, sealed packaging and have a nice tray and wooden pick to eat them with. The mochi pieces don’t have any particular, discernible smell to them but they do remind me a little of play doh for some reason. Maybe it’s the starch or flour that keeps them from sticking altogether. As great as these are to eat, I’ve always had a strange fascinating with poking mochi. If you’ve never tried it, it’s super fun to do. Also super rude to do when other people are around, so maybe don’t do it in public – strictly something you should do in the privacy of your own home.
As with the other packaged mochi, the texture is consistently chewy and very soft. It’s almost pillowy to the touch, and it still amazes me how they manage to get it so soft and chewy despite being packaged, and filled with a ganache. The best way to describe the center is a nice thick chestnut ganache. It’s very soft, and melts in the mouth, but not in a messy, liquid way. More like a nice fudge like texture. If you’ve ever had roast chestnuts or Mont Blanc, its got a similar creamy, nutty texture to it that reads more of sweet potato or yams than anything.
The flavour is much like a roasted chestnut. It’s got a smoky, slightly earthy quality to it that reminds me a bit of sweet potato. It’s got a similar, slightly subdued sweetness to it that doesn’t hit you in the face, but takes time to build up to the sweet, nutty crescendo that then slaps you, rather than punch you, before walking away and leaving you wanting more. Abusive relationship metaphor aside, these are quite spot on with the chestnut flavour both in flavour and texture.
For whatever reason, chestnuts make me think of Christmas, and has a winter feel to it. Don’t let me weird associations fool you though, these are great for any season, and I would recommend these to everyone who isn’t allergic to any of the ingredients. Namely chestnuts. Even if you aren’t a particular fan of chestnuts, the texture alone makes this well worth it, as chestnuts aren’t generally that strong in flavour anyways.
