Matcha Ofukumochi: One of Japan’s most deliciously direct desserts【Taste test】

What you see is what you get, and exactly what we want, with this regional treat.

Many Japanese sweets are delicate and complex things, weaving together subtle flavors and intricate aesthetics for an experience true gourmands can appreciate on several different levels. Even in Japan, though, there are sweets shops that believe the best strategy is to keep things simple, and that’s the philosophy behind the extremely popular confectionaries of Ise, Mie Prefecture.

After stopping by the city’s Ise Shrine, many travelers’ next destination is a souvenir shop to buy either Akafukumochi or Ofukumochi. Though made by different confectioners, Akafuku and Ofukumochi are essentially the same, consisting of a small piece of mochi completely covered in a large amount of smooth anko, or sweet red bean paste. As a matter of fact, the “Aka” part of Akafukumochi means “red,” and the ratio of anko to mochi is so heavily balanced towards the anko side that you almost might not even notice the rice cake core in Akafuku and Ofukumochi.

▼ Akafukumochi

Again, the two treats are so similar that most people would probably be hard-pressed to tell the difference between Akafukumochi and Ofukumochi in a blind taste-test, and they’ve both been big hits since the early 1700s. Of the two, though, Akafukumochi is the brand with the higher name recognition. However, there is a very compelling reason to seek out Ofukumochi, which is that it’s also available in a matcha version, and it’s probably safe to say that anyone who like green tea sweets will be unable to resist it once they see how beautifully delicious it looks.

▼ The matcha Ofukumochi, flanked by the standard red bean paste version and another variant coated with kinako (roasted soybean powder)

We weren’t even going to try to resist this sweet siren song, so we swiftly ordered a box of matcha Ofukumochi for 860 yen (US$5.70). They come wrapped in a charming paper with an illustration of Ise’s Meoto Iwa, or “Wedded Rocks,” a local landmark of two rocks rising from the sea and connected by a length of blessed rope to symbolize the marriage of the gods Izanagi and Izanami.

▼ The Meoto Iwa also appear on the inner seal.

Inside were eight mouthwatering matcha Ofukumochi. We actually rearranged them a bit to get them all aligned extra nicely before snapping the above photo, and the fact that none of them ended up with their anko torn, slid off, or otherwise out of place is testament to the generous quantity of sweet bean paste on each one.

So how do they taste? Exactly like they look! While some green tea desserts soften the tea intensity by adding in large amounts of sugar or cream, the matcha Ofukumochi are confident that anyone choosing such verdant sweets wants the green tea flavor to be equally deep, and the sheer amount of anko means that it instantly envelops your taste buds in a rich all-encompassing matcha sensation.

Unfortunately, as we mentioned above Ofukumochi isn’t as well known as Akafukumochi, which makes it harder to find in shops outside the Ise area. Thankfully, Ofukumochi has an online shop too, and the matcha version is available for order here.

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