Recipe
Muchi — Okinawan mochi in shell ginger leaves
- Herb:
- Shell ginger Alpinia zerumbet
- Method:
- Culinary use
- Plant part:
- Leaf
About 40 minIntermediateRecipe science profile
Procedure
- Mix 300 g of mochiko (glutinous rice flour) with 100 g of brown sugar and about 250 ml of water into a thick but pliable dough; part can be coloured with sweet potato or turmeric powder.
- Wipe the shell ginger leaves, cut off the tough stalk and spread about 60 g of dough in a rectangle on the centre of each leaf.
- Fold the leaf over the dough from the sides and bottom and tie with a strip of leaf or string.
- Steam 20 minutes, let cool and serve; unwrapped muchi smells of the leaf.
Extraction
- Herb:
- 8 alpinia leaves (about 30 cm) for 8 pieces of mochi
- Solvent:
- steam in leaves for 20 minutes; the leaf's aroma passes into the dough
- Shelf life:
- 2 days; keeps longer in the leaves than without them
- Target compounds:
- leaf essential oil (1,8-cineole, camphor, p-cymene) permeates the dough; leaf polyphenols slow spoilage
Notes
A traditional Okinawan sweet for the winter festival of muchi (12th day of the 12th lunar month). A kitchen recipe; the leaves are not eaten. No health claims — Okinawan longevity has many causes.
Why it works
Shell ginger leaves contain an oil with 1,8-cineole, camphor and p-cymene and phenolics including dihydro-5,6-dehydrokawain, which permeate the dough on steaming and slow its spoilage — which is why muchi was traditionally made in the season when food had to keep. The review by Teschke & Xuan 2018 summarises the composition and speculates on the plant's share in Okinawan longevity, but the authors themselves state that human studies are lacking and the data come from animals.
Literature
- Teschke R, Xuan TD (2018): Viewpoint: A Contributory Role of Shell Ginger (Alpinia zerumbet) for Human Longevity in Okinawa, Japan? Nutrients 10(2):166 — Review of composition (dihydro-5,6-dehydrokawain) and traditional Okinawan use; speculation about longevity.
Related
Shell ginger — Herb card
Culinary use — Processing method detail