I have a distant memory of eating Hokkaido imomochi many years ago. The details are unclear, but I seem to remember finding them delicious, so I bought a package when I encountered them at a Hokkaido fair.
Foods from Hokkaido containing the word imo, or potato, somehow sound promising. The purchase felt like a small adventure, but it proved to be the right choice.
Imomochi by Sakaeya
A pack contains six potato cakes and one pouch of sauce.
The price is 740 yen before tax, or 799 yen including tax.
They are made with 100 percent Hokkaido potatoes.
The package shows grilled imomochi against a refreshing background of blue sky and open fields.
Please forgive the blurred photograph.
The package explains several ways to prepare the cakes.
They can be fried in a pan, heated in a microwave or hot-water bath, added to a hot pot, or even served with jingisukan grilled mutton.
One 70-gram imomochi contains 107 calories.
The best-before period is about 30 days.
The vacuum-packed cakes are divided into two groups of three. One pouch of sauce is included.
For the full experience, I decided to use butter from Hokkaido too.
First, heat the frying pan and melt the butter.
Then add the potato cakes straight from the package.
They slid smoothly out of the vacuum pack.
A satisfying sizzle filled the kitchen along with the aroma of butter. The cakes did not stick to the pan, and when I turned them over, they had already developed an excellent golden-brown surface.
What Does Imomochi Taste Like?
Transfer the cakes to a plate and pour over the included sauce.
Time to eat.
They are wonderfully chewy. Rather than stretching like ordinary mochi, they have a clean bite similar to shiratama dumplings.
A faint graininess from the potato remains on the tongue and tastes delicious.
The sauce is sweet and savory, much like mitarashi glaze.
Cooking them in butter was unquestionably the right decision.
My mother’s family is from Hokkaido, so relatives made imomochi for me several times.
The first bite brought an immediate feeling of recognition: yes, this is the flavor! It awakened warm memories of earlier days.
Because the vacuum packs are divided into two portions, there is no need to use all six cakes at once.
It would be even more convenient if the sauce were also divided into two pouches.
Each piece is substantial enough that eating only one can leave you surprisingly full.
I fried mine, but the cakes can apparently be eaten without cooking, so people who are uncomfortable in the kitchen need not worry.
Simply remove them from the package and add the sauce.
Even so, I strongly recommend warming them in butter if possible.
Sakaeya’s Imomochi offer an easy taste of Hokkaido and were thoroughly delicious.
Thank you for the meal!
Imomochi Product Info, Expiration Date, Manufacturer
| Product Name | Imomochi |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer / Seller | Sakaeya |
| Address | 6-1-46 Yurigahara, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido |
| Expiration Date | About 30 days |
| Place of Purchase | Hokkaido products fair |
| Price | 740 yen before tax |
