OFF THE SHELF
Kinako gives mochi cakes a nutty coating

By Wanda A. Adams
Food Editor

This bag of Hula-brand kinako can provide a delicious coating to grilled mochi cakes. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

This flour, made by finely grinding roasted soybeans, is nutty and fragrant and is found on grocery store shelves as well as in Asian markets and in health-food stores.

Soy flour is low in fat and sodium and runs about 15 calories a quarter-cup. It can be combined with other flours in baking for those who are allergic to wheat or gluten.

In Japanese cuisine, kinako is commonly used in sweets, in combination with sugar.

An example is Abe-Kawa Mochi — grilled mochi cakes in the style of the Abe River Inn between Kyoto and Tokyo. These cakes date back centuries and were served to weary travelers. They're simple to make. The most complicated part is going out to buy fresh mochi cakes; you'll need 4 (2-by-2 1/2-inch) cakes for 4 servings. Grill the cakes over a charcoal fire or broil them in the oven; they will grow bigger and become crisp and browned. Meanwhile, mix 1 cup kinako with 1/2 cup sugar. Dip the grilled mochi into hot water to moisten the surface and immediately roll in kinako. Serve immediately on individual plates and eat with a dessert fork. (From "Japanese Cooking, a Simple Art" by Shizuo Tsuji. Kodansha, 1980).