Arare (pronounced ah-rah-reh) is the Japanese word for tiny rice crackers (you know, the kind they put in snack mixes along with wasabi peas). It’s basically made by toasting mochi until it puffs up like popcorn and takes on the fantastic toasty flavor of caramelized rice. The kind in the snack mixes are are salted, so you wouldn’t want to use those, but the flavor works well with sweet things too.
I used these as “croutons” in a soup I did for my mom’s birthday dinner over the holidays, but I couldn’t help but wonder what else I could add them to. While eating a piece of burnt rice flavored candy it occurred to me that the flavor goes well with sweet things as well. Cream seemed like a natural accompaniment to the smoky flavor and the rest just sort of fell into place. Putting it in a shaker with some ice gives it a nice layer of cappuccino-like froth on top.
To get the flavor into the cocktail I just steep the toasted mochi in simple syrup like tea. If you want the flavor of the arare to “pop” more, use an unflavored alcohol like shochu or vodka. If you want something that compliments the toasty rice, try using irish whiskey (it almost tastes like Bailey’s).
Ingredients
for arare simple syrup
-
2
mochi pieces cut into tiny cubes (about 2mm)
-
1
cup
evaporated cane sugar
-
1/2
cups
water
for cocktail
-
1
syrup part arare infused simple
-
2
cream (Half and Half) parts
Steps
-
Spread the mochi cubes evenly over a baking sheet and toast at 350 degree until they are puffed up and a deep caramel color. You may need to turn the sheet and shake them up a bit half way through. Be very careful as they take a while to start browning but then they go from toasty to burnt to flaming in a matter of seconds (yes I lit my toaster oven on fire with the first batch).
-
When they're done, set aside a few to garnish your drinks and dump the rest into a small sauce pan along with the sugar and water. Bring to a boil then turn off the heat and let it steep until the syrup has cooled off a bit. Strain using a tea strainer and press on the solids to extract all the flavor then toss them out.
-
To mix the drink, just fill a shaker with ice, pour in the simple syrup, alcohol of your choice, and half and half. Shake vigorously and pour into glasses topped with a few pieces of reserved arare.
Joie de vivre says
I have never heard of anything like this before. I love finding something new!
veggiebelly says
I love your picture and the glass! What a unique recipe!
veggiebelly says
I love your picture and the glass! What a unique recipe!
helen says
Interesting! And I do love mochi…
Had a teriyaki chicken and mochi pizza at a new place in Vancouver called Strawberry Cones the other day. Sounds weird, I know, but it was actually very tasty. Wouldn’t mind another slice right now…
helen says
Interesting! And I do love mochi…
Had a teriyaki chicken and mochi pizza at a new place in Vancouver called Strawberry Cones the other day. Sounds weird, I know, but it was actually very tasty. Wouldn’t mind another slice right now…
Marc Matsumoto says
MMm that sounds great. I love toasting mochi with some teriyaki glaze on it. Then I finish it off with a piece of butter.
kim says
what a cool idea! i love the way it looks in the photograph.
kim says
what a cool idea! i love the way it looks in the photograph.
Dominik MJ says
Ups I am late. I just stumbled into your site – I have to say, that your drink is fascinating…
I just would substitute the cream with concentrated rice milk or Amazake [or a mixture of both] – this would even increase the “ricy” flavors and would make it stylistically complete [may be not – Amazaki could cover the toasted mochi flavors – or are they robust enough?]…
And maybe an Amawori instead of Shochu? This would even further push the rice-rice-rice concept and secondly had a little cleaner taste…
Dominik MJ says
Ups I am late. I just stumbled into your site – I have to say, that your drink is fascinating…
I just would substitute the cream with concentrated rice milk or Amazake [or a mixture of both] – this would even increase the “ricy” flavors and would make it stylistically complete [may be not – Amazaki could cover the toasted mochi flavors – or are they robust enough?]…
And maybe an Amawori instead of Shochu? This would even further push the rice-rice-rice concept and secondly had a little cleaner taste…
Choosing a cocktail shaker says
Seems to be just delicious! Will definitely try it, hope to get all ingredients. 😀
Carolyn says
Yummy, sounds great. Would your recipe for the little baked mochi be the same as the little arare crackers that are in green tea or the rice, tea & arare soup that’s popular in japan?
Marc Matsumoto says
Yep, that’s essentially what this makes. The ones in the tea are
usually just roasted rice, but it’s the same flavor, and this is
exactly how I make the arare I put in ochazuke (rice soup with arare
in it).
Andrew Lo says
can i the arare (the little rice cracker) online? i really have a difficult finding it. thanks