The glaze burns almost immediately. What can I do?

The sauce is high in sugar, so the last grilling must be short and not too fierce. Pull them as soon as they color; use a sheet of foil if they start to catch, or spread a thinner coat. Do not reduce the sauce until it is stiff.

The rice keeps sliding off the skewer.

It was probably mashed too wet, or the skewer was not wrapped tightly. Leave about half the grains intact, mash while hot until sticky, soak the sticks, push one into the center, and pack the rice around it. Flattening one side also helps.

How far ahead can I prepare them?

You can take them through the first grilling, cool, and refrigerate, then sauce and finish just before serving. The sauce can be made a day or two ahead and chilled. Avoid glazing the skewers overnight; the surface dries out.

I do not have a fish grill. What else works?

A frying pan or a mesh grill is fine over medium or medium-low heat; turn carefully. An oven broiler also works, but watch the glazed side, which colors faster than the rice.

Can I halve the recipe?

Yes. Halve both the rice and the sauce ingredients. Use a smaller pan for the sauce so it does not reduce too fast, and keep the same minutes per side on the grill.

Gohei mochi

Name: Gohei mochi
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 4人分
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: White rice 320 g; [Sauce] Peanuts 24 g; [Sauce] Walnuts 12 g; [Sauce] Ground white sesame 40 g; [Sauce] Toasted white sesame seeds 2 g; [Sauce] Dark soy sauce 64 g; [Sauce] Fine white sugar 80 g; [Sauce] Sake 24 g; [Sauce] Hon-mirin 32 g; Skewers, as needed

By Chef Cannon

Cuisine: Japanese

Region: 岐阜県

Servings: 4人分

Gohei mochi, also known as Gifu grilled rice cakes, are mashed white rice wrapped on a skewer, brushed with a peanut-and-walnut soy glaze, and grilled. They come from eastern Mino and Hida and suit the new-rice season as much as a packed snack.

At a glance

Hands-on about 50 min · About 90 min with rice cooking · 4 servings · Medium · ≈ 520 kcal per serving (estimate)

Ingredients

White rice 320 g
[Sauce] Peanuts 24 g
[Sauce] Walnuts 12 g
[Sauce] Ground white sesame 40 g
[Sauce] Toasted white sesame seeds 2 g
[Sauce] Dark soy sauce 64 g
[Sauce] Fine white sugar 80 g
[Sauce] Sake 24 g
[Sauce] Hon-mirin 32 g
Skewers, as needed

Steps

Rinse 320 g of white rice and cook it as usual. When it is done, let it steam for about 10 minutes, then mash it while still hot with a pestle or rice paddle until about half the grains remain intact and the rice turns sticky.
Take portions of the mashed rice and shape them into ovals or a straw-sandal form. Push a skewer into the center and wrap the rice around it, neatening the shape. Flatten one side slightly so the sauce spreads easily. Lightly wet your hands to keep the rice from sticking.
Give them a first grilling over a fish grill, a mesh grill, or in a frying pan until a light color appears. Aim for 2–3 minutes per side over medium or medium-low heat, and watch so they do not scorch.
Coarsely crush the peanuts and walnuts, or chop them finely in a food processor. Lightly grind the toasted white sesame just enough to wake the aroma, then mix it with the ground white sesame.
Put the soy sauce, fine white sugar, sake, and mirin in a small pan and melt them together over medium heat. Add the peanuts, walnuts, and sesame and simmer on low heat for 2–3 minutes until you have a slightly thick sauce. If you reduce it too far it becomes hard to spread, so turn off the heat once it is brushable.
Brush or spoon the sauce evenly over the pre-grilled gohei mochi. Return them to the grill or mesh and cook 1–2 minutes per side, until the sauce is fragrant and glossy. The glaze burns easily, so watch the heat.
Serve them hot, with a little of the leftover sauce on the side. They also suit the new-rice season in autumn or a snack on an outing.
Seal and refrigerate leftover sauce; the next day it is also good on grilled rice balls or stir-fried vegetables.

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Notes

In homes toward eastern Mino in Gifu, a sweet-salty soy sauce with peanuts and walnuts is the usual glaze. To lean toward a miso glaze, replace part of the soy sauce with miso and simmer it until dissolved for a similar finish.

Do not mash the rice to a full paste; leaving some grains gives a better bite and helps the cakes stay on the skewer.

Soak bamboo skewers in water for about 10 minutes before use so they are less likely to scorch on the grill.

The sauce is high in sugar and burns easily. Keep the finishing grill short and not too fierce; if it starts to catch, lay down a sheet of foil.

Besides the straw-sandal shape, a flat oval or a round dumpling shape is fine. The fact that the form changes by region and household is part of the charm of gohei mochi.

You can take them through the first grilling ahead of time, then sauce and finish them just before serving, which makes them easy to prepare in advance.

Time and temperature

Rinse, cook, and steam the rice about 50–60 min · Mash and shape 10–15 min · First grill 2–3 min per side over medium or medium-low heat · Simmer the sauce 2–3 min on low · Finish 1–2 min per side

Nutrition

520 kcal · Protein 11 g · Fat 14 g · Carbs 90 g

about one-quarter of the recipe (1–2 skewers, estimate)

Substitutes

Walnuts → the same weight of extra peanuts
Hon-mirin → mirin-style seasoning plus a little sugar
Dark soy sauce → light soy, with slightly less sugar
Ground white sesame → grind toasted white sesame yourself
Skewers → skip them and pan-grill flattened cakes

Storage

After the first grilling, cool, seal, and refrigerate until the next day; brush with sauce and finish just before eating. Finished, glazed skewers are best hot. Reheat leftovers gently in a pan or oven, watching the sugary glaze. Leftover sauce keeps, sealed and chilled, about 3–4 days for grilled rice balls or stir-fried vegetables. Freezing already glazed cakes is not recommended.

FAQ

The glaze burns almost immediately. What can I do?: The sauce is high in sugar, so the last grilling must be short and not too fierce. Pull them as soon as they color; use a sheet of foil if they start to catch, or spread a thinner coat. Do not reduce the sauce until it is stiff.
The rice keeps sliding off the skewer.: It was probably mashed too wet, or the skewer was not wrapped tightly. Leave about half the grains intact, mash while hot until sticky, soak the sticks, push one into the center, and pack the rice around it. Flattening one side also helps.
How far ahead can I prepare them?: You can take them through the first grilling, cool, and refrigerate, then sauce and finish just before serving. The sauce can be made a day or two ahead and chilled. Avoid glazing the skewers overnight; the surface dries out.
I do not have a fish grill. What else works?: A frying pan or a mesh grill is fine over medium or medium-low heat; turn carefully. An oven broiler also works, but watch the glazed side, which colors faster than the rice.
Can I halve the recipe?: Yes. Halve both the rice and the sauce ingredients. Use a smaller pan for the sauce so it does not reduce too fast, and keep the same minutes per side on the grill.

Origin and history

Gohei mochi is a mountain-country dish of central Japan, especially eastern Mino and Hida in Gifu Prefecture: cooked white rice is mashed, wrapped around a skewer, brushed with a sweet-salty glaze, and grilled. It was packed as food for woodcutters in the hills and also served as a harvest celebration or festival offering. Explanations of the name include a resemblance to the gohei paper wand offered to the gods, and a link to a historical figure. The glaze may be miso, soy sauce, or a mix; on the Gifu side, a rich version with peanuts, walnuts, and sesame is especially well known. It is easy to buy at sightseeing spots, but grilling it at home in the new-rice season is especially good. This recipe uses 320 g of white rice, enough for about 4 people, and a peanut-and-walnut soy glaze in the Gifu style, sweet, salty, and toasted.