Potato Mochi · Pioneer Food
Imomochi (Potato Rice Cakes)
Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Despite the name there is no rice in it: settlers made it as a mochi substitute because rice was hard to grow in early Hokkaido.
Steamed potatoes are mashed with potato starch, shaped into patties and pan-fried until crisp outside and chewy inside, usually finished with a sweet soy glaze, butter or melted cheese; sold hot at roadside stations, service areas and festivals across Hokkaido.
Why it's made this way: It dates back to the Meiji-era settlement of Hokkaido, when pioneers turned the island's plentiful potatoes into a stand-in for mochi.
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Part of World of Street Food — 3422 dishes from 118 countries.
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