Arare (あられ, small mochi rice crackers)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Sturdy knife
• •Wire rack, or a parchment-lined tray
• •Baking sheet
• •Pastry brush

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the mochi

   Cut the kirimochi into small cubes, about 1cm across. Use a sturdy knife and press straight down rather than sawing. Small pieces dry evenly and puff into true arare; large pieces stay chewy in the center, which is pleasant in soup and wrong here.

2. 2

   Dry the pieces

   Spread the mochi cubes on a wire rack or parchment-lined tray with space between them. Leave them uncovered in a cool, dry place for 2 to 3 days, turning once a day, until they feel hard on the surface and show tiny cracks at the edges.

   Drying is not decoration. The drier surface lets the outside crisp before the inside expands, so the cracker puffs instead of melting flat.
3. 3

   Warm the oven

   Heat the oven to 160C, or 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and brush it lightly with the neutral oil. The oil keeps the mochi from gripping the paper while the first puff happens, when the pieces are still tacky.

4. 4

   Bake until puffed

   Arrange the dried mochi in a single layer, leaving room for each piece to swell. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes, shaking the pan once, until the pieces puff, turn dry and crisp at the edges, and show pale gold spots. Pull them before they brown deeply; scorched rice tastes bitter fast.

5. 5

   Make the glaze

   While the arare bakes, warm the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a small pan just until the sugar dissolves. You are making a thin soy glaze, not a syrup. Thick glaze clumps on these small crackers and steals their crispness.

6. 6

   Brush and finish

   Tip the hot puffed arare into a bowl and brush or drizzle over the soy glaze a little at a time, tossing quickly. Return them to the tray and bake 2 to 3 minutes more, just until the surface looks dry and lacquered. Seasoning at the end keeps the soy from burning before the mochi has finished puffing.

7. 7

   Cool completely

   Scatter over the nori and sesame, if using, while the surface is still faintly tacky. Let the arare cool completely on the tray before storing. They crisp as they cool, and a closed jar too soon traps moisture, the enemy you spent two days driving away.

Chef Tips

• •Use plain kirimochi made from mochi-gome, not sweet filled mochi. The package should list glutinous rice or sweet rice and little else. Honmono begins with the right rice.
• •If your kitchen is humid, dry the cut mochi in the refrigerator on an uncovered rack. It takes longer, but the air is dry and steady, and steady is what this cracker wants.
• •Frying is also traditional, and it gives a richer cracker. For the oven version, keep the pieces small and well dried, or they will toast outside before they puff within.
• •Store arare in an airtight tin only after it is fully cool. If it softens, refresh it in a low oven for a few minutes, then cool again before serving.

Advance Preparation

• •The mochi can be cut and dried 3 days ahead. Once fully dry, keep it uncovered in a dry place until baking.
• •Finished arare keeps about 1 week in an airtight tin with a small packet of food-safe desiccant if your kitchen is humid.
• •For picnics, pack the arare only after it is completely cool, and keep nori-topped pieces separate if you want the seaweed crisp.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 27g)