Tirol Chocolate – Raw Mochi Kinako

I know what you’re thinking. Raw?! What?! How is that safe?! Well readers, let me assuage your fears. Raw mochi is perfectly safe to eat. In fact, there’s a good chance that you’ve had raw mochi at some point. All it really means is that it’s relatively fresh and has not been cooked. Mochi is a very versatile thing, and can be cooked or boiled and steamed into various uses. As someone who grew up on an asian household, we had many uses for it, though it was a more Chinese variation of mochi. They may go by different names, but they are generally very similar.

Today’s flavour is called raw mochi kinako. I believe the specific call out to raw mochi is simply that it wasn’t cooked or boiled, which leads me to believe that their standard mochi chocolates like the green tea mochi have indeed been cooked or boiled, resulting gin a slightly different texture. This variety is the larger variation that Tirol has, the ones that are sold individually. I should also mention that this isn’t just raw mochi, and that it is with kinako. Kinako is a roasted soybean powder which often used as a topping for snacks and desserts. The flavour is very nutty, and to some people it may be akin to peanut butter.

That typical Tirol patterning.

They definitely captured the smell of kinako quite well – I’m greeted with the nutty aroma of the kinako right off the bat. I’m not too sure what to expect from the mochi center, but I am expecting it to be different from the standard mochi centers that Tirol uses.

Biting into it, it’s not immediately obvious what the difference is. The kinako flavoured chocolate has a delightful nutty flavour to it that I have come to love. The chewy center definitely reminds one of mochi. But there’s something different about it, the more I chew. While the typical mochi center they used feels more gummy, this one isn’t quite as bouncy, and is a tad stickier. I imagine that’s where the “raw” distinction comes into play. I actually kind of like this style better, and feel like it captures the essence of fresh mochi better.

That gooey, sticky center.

I feel like it bears mentioning that from what I learned about this piece, it was only carried in select stores. I am curious as to whether that was an attempt to limit supply (it’s supposed to be a limited time piece), or it was due to concerns over storage and shelf life. I like to be optimistic and assume it’s the latter. If that is indeed the case, it would make sense, since it’s not the same consistency as the gummy mochi which I suspect is boiled or cooked somehow.

This one is pretty hefty in the calorie department compared to the smaller pieces.

I really did enjoy this piece, but I also really enjoy kinako. For those who have not tried kinako, be warned, this may not be your thing. I still think a majority of you will enjoy it if you like that nutty powder flavour. Regardless, I think the piece is worth trying for the gooey, mochi center alone. It really does feel like a premium version of their standard mochi center pieces. The only problem is finding this, as I had difficulty sourcing this, even when I was in Japan.

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