1: Japan, we chose japan because Japanese
pastry is based on combining staple
foods, Japanese pastry offers a vast array of regional specialties that use
traditional recipes and local ingredients. The Michelin Guide has awarded
restaurants in Japan more Michelin stars than the rest of the world combined.
2:
Anmitsu:
It is
made of small cubes of agar jelly, a white translucent jelly made from red
algae. The agar is dissolved with water (or fruit juice such as apple juice) to
make the jelly. It is served in a bowl with sweet azuki bean paste or anko (the
an part of anmitsu), boiled peas, often gyūhi and a variety of fruits such as
peach slices, mikan, pieces of pineapples, and cherries. The anmitsu usually
comes with a small pot of sweet black syrup, or mitsu (the mitsu part of
anmitsu) which one pours onto the jelly before eating.
Anpan:
is a Japanese sweet roll most commonly filled
with red bean paste. Anpan can also be prepared with other fillings, including
white beans (shiro-an), green beans (uguisu-an), sesame (goma-an) and chestnut
(kuri-an).
Castella:
Is a popular Japanese sponge cake made of
sugar, flour, eggs, and starch syrup.
Now a specialty of Nagasaki, the cake was
brought to Japan by Portuguese merchants in the 16th century. The name is
derived from Portuguese Pão de Castela, meaning "bread from Castile".
Castella cake is usually sold in long boxes, with the cake inside being
approximately 27 cm long. It is somewhat similar to Madeira cake, also
associated with Portugal, but its closest relative is pão-de-ló, also a
Portuguese cake.
3: Takashi Ochiai: it’s a pastry chef with a
large experience in the pastry world he arrives in Catalunya at 80s
In japan he was a pasrty chef also, but he
want’s to learn about european pastry and he went to study in Belgium and
london for 5 years long.
Then he arrives in Catalunya and he stay 3
years learning about catalan pastry history and traditions after open hes own
local in barcelona named (OCHIAI) where he sell traditionall japanese pastry
4: INGREDIENTES
For mochi (6-10 pcs.):
250 g of glutinous rice flour
Sugar 100 g
300 ml of cold water
Cornstarch (for sprinkling while kneading)
For the filling:
250 g of azuki beans (red soy)
Sugar 250 g
25 g glucose
Pinch of salt
Fresh strawberries
Mochi dough:
In a bowl mix flour, glutinous rice, sugar and
water to be added slowly.
Mix vigorously, adding water slowly until
there are no lumps and the mixture is slightly sticky and elastic.
Cover with a damp cloth bowl bamboo steamer,
pour the dough inside and cover. Place the bowl over a pan of the same
diameter, filled with boiling water. Cook for about 20-25 minutes until the
dough acquires a matte texture more solid and pasty.
Remove from heat and cool the dough until it
is warm (at least 45 min).
Knead manually or with the help of a clean
damp cloth or a rigid spatula. As a trick, you can add up to 10% more sugar for
the mochis last longer.
Sprinkle cornstarch over the counter (or in a
baking tray for less hassle). We use this surface to pour the dough and flour
embadurnarla to be manipulated and do not stick to your hands.
Preparation of Daifuku mochi (or how to
complete the mochi):
Put the rice paste over the cornstarch and
smear well so the dough does not stick to your hands when handling. Roll out
the dough slightly and cut into small portions (meatball size) with the help of
a rigid spatula.
Flatten each ball in the palm of your hand,
gently stretching into a disk.
Place the filling in the center. This will
consist of a shell strawberry red bean paste.
By small rotations in the palm of his hand,
gradually start closing the sides of the dough over the filling rice, as a
flower bud, until we have the ball perfectly closed.
Finally seal the rice dough just make tweaks
in the cracks to make them stick and the surface is smooth.
Filling anko (red bean paste) and strawberry.
The anko can be purchased ready-made, canned or homemade can be done by
following the instructions below:
Leave the beans to soak for 12 hours.
Remove a little of the soaking water and pour
the rest into the pressure cooker.
Cook over high heat for 35 min.
Uncover and remove all water. In the same pot,
add sugar and a pinch of salt.
Return to medium heat and add the sugar in
three stages. Be cooked soybeans to obtain a paste. Then remove from heat and
let cool.
Once cool, red bean paste can be separated
into small balls (meatball size) that can fill a strawberry.
The ball is formed first, then flattens out
and finally put the strawberry in the center and are closing the sides to wrap
cutter carefully by slight rotations in the palm of your hand. It is the same
mechanism that we use to fill the mochi.
