Mochi donuts -- chewy, tasty, and simply irresistible. Have you ever tried them? They are the newest doughnut craze that is getting everybody talking. Multiple hybrids of doughnuts have already emerged. Cronuts, duffins, waffle doughnuts, name it. Then, there are the "pon de rings," the other name of mochi donuts.
This uber sweet and chewy dessert has become popular worldwide, beyond its cute shape and creative decorations. It makes for a delicious snack to have with tea, such as bubble tea, at any time of the day.
In this comprehensive article, you will get to know more about these mochi donuts, a great store where you can buy this delicious-ness, and how to make them if you want to produce them on your own at home, using a simple frying method. We're not going to stall you further. Let's get started.
First, What Are Mochi Donuts Made Of?
These sweet Japanese snack pastries contain a mixture of either tapioca starch or glutinous rice flour, and egg, milk, sugar and baking powder. Its glutinous rice flour produces a denser and chewier texture compared to recipes that only use tapioca starch. This tapioca starch will instead give a fluflly, lighter texture. To make things even better, some recipes combine the two to produce something in between. All for your pleasure.
You can notice it also has an icing. Various flavors. As for this, the options are limitless. Most recipes use a basic sugar glaze made of icing sugar and milk. But from here, you can add on more flavors such as matcha, vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate. It actually depends on what you like. Many stores that make mochi donuts would also add coloring to the icing to give these desserts a more aesthetic appeal.
How did this craze start? Read on.
The Origin Of Mochi Donuts
Unfortunately, we cannot give a strong information on the origins of this delight, because their origins are not very clear. But, know that its origin involves a few countries -- Japan, the United States, and Brazil. It was the global doughnut chain, the Mister Donut in Japan that first created the signature pon de ring back in 2003. Where else? Mochis come from Japan.
This dessert is made of 8 dough balls connected to form a ring. Also, the pon de ring draws inspiration from Pao de Queijo, which is a popular Brazilian cheese bread with a similar chewy texture to mochi donuts.
In addition, the original pon de rings made by Mister Donut in Japan was topped with basic sugar glaze, but the doughnut giant has since experimented with different designs and flavors. Popular options are chocolate dough, strawberry glaze, and brown sugar.
How It Grew In Popularity
Shortly after its conception, this modern Japanese dessert has swiftly become a sensation worldwide, with stores selling it popping across Asia, Europe, and America -- around the world, actually. However, it has been said that the American hype for these yummy treats started with Liliha Bakery located in Hawaii started making poi mochi donuts from taro root.
MoDo Hawaii then opened a store in Mitsuwa Marketplace in Waikiki sometime in 2017, drawing large crowds of people desperate to give this famed dessert a try. With its cute degisn, delicious taste, and the natural obsession of Americans with doughnuts, it did not take so long before the dessert became popular nationwide.
As you can see, the snack first became popular on the West Coast before dominating other places like Philadelphia, Boston, and New York City. Most of these places have experimented with taste, design, and texture, providing customers with all sorts of choices. Plus, the popularity even grew further with the offering of delivery options for these mochi donuts.
How Are They Different From Regular Donuts?
Though regular doughnuts and their mochi versions come from the same family, that is, doughnuts, what else, pon de rings are considered different from the ubiquitous Dunkin' Donuts or Krispy Kreme doughnuts because of their chewy and stretchy texture. This comes from the use of glutinous rice flour, which is native in Japan and a common ingredient in Japanese desserts like the red bean daifuku. Some recipes also make use of silken tofu to create a fluffy but chewy bite.
On the other side of things, regular doughnuts use wheat flour instead, which gives them that soft and fluffy bread-like texture. These regular doughnuts are also deep-fried, usually, but you will also find that the glutinous rice variety is also deep-fried. If not, baked, depending on the preference of the eater.
Mochi donuts are also healthier since they contain around half the calories of regular doughnuts. Some varieties are also gluten-free.
How About Its Taste?
On their own, mochi donuts have a subtle and sweet taste. However, if you have tried this dessert before, you will find out that its main feature is its signature chewy texture. Outside, it is crispy since it is fried or baked, making it complement the chewy center very well.
But, beyond those, the taste of these delicious pastries depends on their icing. The most common option is the classic sugar glaze. It tastes sweet, of course, and has a sticky, gooey texture. However, there are also other flavors such as matcha, black sesame, cinnamon and sugar, and chocolate with rainbow sprinkles, among many others.
How about the calorie count?
How Many Calories Are There In Mochi Donuts?
Mochi donuts are your healthier alternative. They contain only about 277 kcal, which is half the calories of regular doughnuts! Regular doughnuts have it at around 400 to 500 kcal.
However, you should know that this calorie content depends on the preparation method. For instance, if you are deep-frying the dessert in oil, it will contain slightly more calories than when you bake it.
Let's dig a big more about the content of these mochi donuts
The Mochiko Flour In These Doughnuts
One of the ingredients that make mochi donuts different is the Mochiko. Mochiko pertains to your sweet glutinous flour that produces that signature chewy texture found in mochi donuts. This is known as gyuhiko or daifukuko, and is a popular ingredient of Japanese desserts. Mochiko rice flour is finely powdered and made from short-grain glutinous rice, unlike the regular glutinous rice flour.
If you want to give this a try, you can buy Mochiko rice flour from several Asian supermarkets or you can order it from Amazon. But if you cannot find Mochiko rice flour, a good alternative would be Shiratamako. However, this is usually pricier than Mochiko.
However, bear in mind that using too much of your Mochiko can cause the food to be gum-like, so if you are making your own mochi donuts, try your best not to overdo it. Why does this happen? This is because the short-grain rice has a higher starch content versus other kinds of rice. Also, be careful not to interchange your sweet glutinous rice flour with rice flour because the latter is made from ground long to medium rice. Using rice flour will give a very different consistency because its starch content is lower.
Learn How To Make Mochi Donuts: The Mochi Donut Recipe
While there are several stores where you can buy authentic mochi donuts, if you are craving right now, you can make them on your own. There are two main approaches of making this dessert, the worldwide guilty pleasure. Frying is the classic method, but if you want your doughnut to be healthier, you must bake it. Then, another part of creating the snack is glazing.
Let’s look into more detail about each process below. We will show you how to make chewy mochi donuts from scratch in this easy mochi donuts and best recipe for this pastry.
Frying
Frying mochi donuts is the faster and easier way of preparing these treats. But for those looking for a healthier option, you may skip this part of proceed to the next.
In this approach, start by mixing the milk, sugar, and glutinous rice flour. Once done, add your beaten egg and melted butter until your mixture turns into a sticky dough. If it is too wet, you can add one to two tablespoons of flour. Use your hands to knead the dough for six minutes before dividing it into smaller pieces to create the balls using your hands.
Afterward, place the eight balls on a square baking sheet and connect them together to form a ring. If you do not have the luxury of time, you can instead use a piping bag to make your mochi donuts. Don't forget to dab some water on your dough balls using your hands or a pastry brush to ensure they stick together.
Then, heat the oil between 168 to 177 degrees Celsius. Drop the dough in your oil, submerging it for a maximum of two minutes. Then, flip onto its other side and fry until they turn golden brown. You can start peeling off the baking sheet while it is slowly frying. Afterward, transfer to a wire rack to drain off the excess oil.
Always remember to get the temperature of the oil just right. If your oil is too hot, it could make the dough brown too soon, giving you a crispier texture. You do not want this, as much as possible.
Conversely, a very low temperature would take longer to cook, causing your dough to absorb too much oil along the way. Here's how to do it right. We recommend that you invest in and use a cooking thermometer to make sure the temperature is ideal throughout your deep-frying process.
Baked
Now, here's for those who want healthier mochi donuts. The steps for this are not too different from the frying method. However, it will take slightly more time, so be patient.
Begin by pre-heating your oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Then, heat your sugar, milk, and vegetable oil mixture in your saucepan. Then, slowly add your flour to the mix. Stir until smooth, then remove from heat and add in the tapioca starch. Add in beaten egg to your mixture before transferring it to a piping bag. Pipe 8 balls onto baking paper and join them together to form a ring. Once this is done, bake for a maximum of 15 minutes. Watch very closely until they turn lightly golden brown.
Also, be careful and keep and eye on the batter's consistency when adding in the egg. The least thing you want is a runny texture that would make it difficult to pipe. Likewise, make sure to thoroughly bake your mochi donuts until they are lightly golden brown, since removing them too quickly can make them deflated.
Lastly, you need to pipe the balls in a chain, but this can be a little bit tricky. Make sure not to pipe them too far apart or too close. You can draw out a circular template to put underneath your baking sheet to help keep the shapes uniform.
Glazing
Now for the most fun part about making your mochi donuts: the glaze. Here, you can go all out and unleash your creativity. The most common glaze used is a basic sugar glaze from icing sugar and milk. But if you want a more revolutionary approach, you can even add flavors and coloring to this base.
The usual flavors are chocolate, matcha, and strawberry. All you have to do is add matcha powder, chocolate pieces, or fresh strawberries to your sugar glze, and blend them in. Afterward, you can even decorate your mochi donuts further with matcha powder, rainbow sprinkes, or freeze-dried strawberries.
Do you know the trick to making that perfect glaze? Well, it is coating your mochi donuts to achieve the right consistency. Your glaze should not be overly think, since when it is, it tends to form clumps. Also, if your glaze is too thin, it will drop down the sides. The right consistency is thick and dripping down in ribbons.
Here's what you can do if your glaze is too thick. Add in some milk to water it down. Conversely, if your glaze is too thin, add more icing sugar to thicken it a bit. However, before glazing, make sure your snack has already cooled down. If not, your glaze will melt and drip down the sides.
How To Store Your Yummy Mochi Donuts
Like many other pastries and desserts, it is best to eat your mochi donuts while they are still fresh. But not at all times you can do this. If you cannot eat them right away, they must be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature. This will last them two to three days.
Craving Pon De Ring Donuts? Get A Taste Of Mochi Donuts From The Bubble Mochi Store
But you really do not have to think too hard about making your mochi donuts, if you are craving them right now. There are stores where you can order these doughnuts, and have them delivered right at your doorstep. One of them is Bubble Mochi.
Located in Virginia, Bubble Mochi is the place to go for sumptuous treats that converge Eastern and Western cultures. Among their bestsellers is their mochi donut. Their signature mochi shapes are unlike any other. Choose your toppings and flavor, and they even provide scoop of creamy, smooth soft serve. Bite into the delicious, chewy outer shell of their mochi donuts, and experience flavors like never before.
The different flavors of their mochi donuts include Blue Raspberry, Choco, Coconut, Coffee, Green Apple, Mango, Matcha, Oreo, Raspberry, Red Velvet, Strawberry, and Taro.
You can also pair up your mochi donut with their eclectic line of bubble teas. Your choice of flavor. Aside from these, Bubble Mochi also has macarons, fresh teas, milk teas, yakult favorites, yogurt smoothies, slushes, ades and hot teas, coffees, and so much more.
What are you waiting for? Connect with Bubble Mochi, and order your cravings now.
Now That You've Learned About These Donut Rings And How To Make Pon De Rings, We Answer Some Quora Questions About Them
1. What Makes Mochi Donuts Different?
Mochi donuts are chewier compared to your regular doughnuts. Why so? Mochi donuts are a hybrid between cake donuts and chewy mochi (yes, that Japanese delight). These mochi donuts are Japanese rice cakes made from glutinous rice, also referred to as polished sticky rice. Mochi donuts commonly use gluten-free tapioca flour or glutinous rice flour. While some recipes of these mochi donuts include all-purpose flour, they can also be made wholly gluten-free. Those are what set mochi donuts apart from your regular doughnuts.
2. Who Invented The Mochi Donut?
The invention of mochi donuts, which are also pertained to as "pon de ring," is credited to the Mister Donut in Japan. Yes, the Mister Donut chain you are familiar with, but in Japan. Mochi donuts are characterized by their cute shape, and have become super popular and trendy over the recent years. They spread across America, and the starting point is Hawaii.
3. Can I Eat Mochi Donuts With Braces?
You know that these mochi donuts are chewier than the regular ones, but yes, you can eat mochi donuts with braces. Just be sure to thoroughly brush your teeth or floss to remove anything that the donuts have left on your teeth and braces. However, if your braces are new, it is advised that you skip eating these mochi donuts for now.
Why You Should Try These Japanese Mochi Donuts: The Conclusion
Mochi donuts are light donuts with chewy texture of mochi. They have a bubble ring shape with the taste and texture of mochis and donuts combined. Their texture and consistency are that they are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Aside from the mochi texture, you should also know that these fried donuts are quite a trend nowadays.
Why are they popular? Well, mochi donuts are a trend recently sweeping across the United States and worldwide due to their distinctly bouncy texture and naturally gluten-free attributes. However, like you have learned a while ago, the mochi donut has existed before its debut in America, but was mostly popularized in Japan under the name "pon de ring" from the global donut chain, Mister Donut.
Additionally, mochi donuts are made of both dry ingredients and wet ingredients. These include powdered sugar, sweet rice flour, all-purpose flor, donut dough or balls of dough, mochiko and tapioca, and more. It is easy to make your own mochi donuts.
But you actually do not have to exert too much effort just to try these delights. There are several stores worldwide that sell this kind of donuts. One of the best places where you can try mochi donuts is at Bubble Mochi. Their delicious donuts are made fresh daily from the highest-quality ingredients. Plus, you can even pair your mochi donuts with their other offerings like their tasty bubble teas.
Mochi donuts are the trendy fusion of the classic American doughnut and the chewy Japanese mochi. Very addictive, indeed. These donuts have a bouncy, chewy texture with just the right amount of sweetness, and they are irresistible. If you searched "mochi donuts near me" or "mochi donut near me," this discussion shall give you the answer. Add these mochi donuts now to your bucket list.