Want to see Luna
An Autumn Night has fallen
Half a lifetime’s come even
The cinnamon has ripen
And I’ve been waitin’
for the banyan tree’s invitation
to meet a friend
or drown in sadness
see winds and clouds
to float with joy
August’s Full Moon,
Lean on me and
laugh all the way down.
–Translated from Tản Đà
Every full moon is special, but August’s full moon, by Lunar calendar, is when stuffed mochi is consumed. Mochi, the Japanese word that has become mainstream in America, is steamed sweet rice, pounded until smooth, soft, and gooey, but it is enjoyed across Asia.
The way to make mochi varies between regions. In China, called snowy moon cake, it is kept and served cold. Glutinous, aka sweet or sticky, rice is combined with wheat starch, sugar, milk, and vegetable oil to make the snowy skin. In Korea, called songpyeon, it’s made with rice powder and steamed over a bed of pine needles. [source: Wikipedia]
In Vietnam, sweet rice is toasted and finely milled. The toasted sweet rice flour is then kneaded with sugar syrup and orange blossom extract into a paste. Vietnamese mochi is not as gooey and stays soft longer. Traditional stuffing includes candied fruits, toasted nuts and seeds, sweet sausage and lard. I substituted meat and lard for sweetened coconut flakes and coconut oil. These mochi are made with steamed sweet rice flour and should be eaten within a couple of days, lest they dry out.
Mochi: 160 gr or 1½ cup glutinous rice flour, 80 gr or ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp sugar, 1 cup water, and plenty of potato starch or cornstarch for dusting.
Stuffing:
¾ cup salted toasted cashew, finely chopped
¼ cup candied winter melon, finely chopped
¼ cup sweetened coconut flakes
2 tbsp golden raisins
4 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
2 tbsp soft or melted coconut oil
¼ cup maple syrup
2 tsp dark rum
¼ tsp lemon extract
Combine stuffing ingredients. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to firm, then form each tbsp into a ball; make 16 round balls. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Whisk together the ingredients for mochi and steam until translucent, about 10-12 minutes. Pour plenty of potato starch or cornstarch onto a large tray. Plop the cooked and very sticky mochi onto the pile of starch. Cover generously with the starch, flatten, and divide into 16 portions.
To make stuffed mochi, flatten each mochi with your palm, brush away the extra starch with a pastry brush, place the ball of stuffing in the center, and mold the mochi to enwrap it completely.
Muốn làm thằng Cuội
Đêm thu buồn lắm chị Hằng ơi
Trần thế em nay chán nửa rồi
Cung quế đã ai ngồi đó chửa
Cành đa xin chị nhắc lên chơi
Có bầu có bạn can chi tủi
Cùng gió cùng mây thế mới vui
Rồi cứ mỗi năm rằm tháng tám
Tựa nhau trông xuống thế gian cười.
–Tản Đà
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