Tsukushi Mochi – Local Sweet in Fukuoka, Kyushu
Tsukushi mochi is a popular souvenir from Fukuoka. It was created in 1977 in Hakata, Fukuoka City, and features some of the best parts of Japanese sweet ingredients.
Boxes of Tsukushi mochi, a kind of Japanese sweet from Fukuoka.
What Tsukushi Mochi is Made From
Tsukushi mochi is made from three of the most popular ingredients that make a traditional Japanese sweet: mochi, kinako and kuromitsu. Mochi is a kind of rice cake with a thick, jelly-like texture often used to make dumplings. In Tsukushi mochi it’s square-shaped, packed in little boxes and cut into three pieces. It’s coated with kinako – a kind of soy bean powder. Each box has a small sachet of kuromitsu – a dark honey flavoured with brown sugar. The kuromitsu and kinako are often paired up in Japanese sweets as they complement each other perfectly.
Traditional style packing
Tsukushi Mochi – Its Beautiful Design
While the ingredients of Tsukushi mochi are available around Japan in various forms, including ice cream parfaits and chocolate, Tsukushi mochi is unique in its design. Each one is beautifully packaged and comes with a small wooden knife with which to eat it. The boxes are wrapped in paper designed like furoshiki – a traditional kind of cloth used to wrap gifts, lunch boxes or clothes. You get the sense that each one has been individually prepared and wrapped specially. It’s like a mini dessert you can snack on without the need for any plates or utensils!
If you want to try something that perfectly embodies a traditional Japanese sweet, try Tsukushi mochi. Each one is a small enough size for a good sample, though you may find you need to eat more than one! Tsukushi mochi has won a Monde Selection gold award for excellence for several years running.
Kuromitsu is poured on top
Tsukushi Mochi – a Variety of Unique Flavours and Packages
Tsukushi mochi is widely available in Fukuoka, with most gift stores selling it. The smallest box available contains three of them and is recommended if you want to sample this traditional flavour. Larger boxes are available, though since mochi needs to be eaten a few days after opening, it would not be a good option to take home. Try this as a special treat! Prices range from around 300 yen for a box of three to 5,400 yen for a large box of 50.
Ready to eat!
Traditional Japanese sweets have a variety of unique flavours, and Tsukushi mochi is a great way to try some of the most popular. It’s well-loved among people from Fukuoka and around Japan, and it has become a popular gift to bring home from a trip to Kyushu for many Japanese people.
You can buy Tsukushi mochi in many gift shops. See below for a recommendation!
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