Purple Sweet Potato Mochi (Vegan + GF) - Rhian's Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is purple mochi made of? ›

Most likely mochi that is purple in color is either ube (purple sweet potato) flavor or taro (an unrelated root vegetable which is white with maroon-to-purple streaks) flavor.

Unlike the light skin and purple flesh of the Okinawan sweet potato, Japanese sweet potatoes (locally known as satsuma imo) have reddish-purple skin and light-colored flesh, which can either be yellow or white. Both varieties also differ in texture.

Ube vs Purple Sweet Potato

The difference between ube and purple sweet potato is that ube is a yam instead of a sweet potato. This means that the skin of the ube is rough and bark-like instead of thin and smooth like that of the purple sweet potato.

Japanese sweet potatoes are prepared in many different ways. Try them baked, steamed, fried, simmered, or candied to make daigaku imo. Add them to miso soup, stews, or even use them to make tempura.

It's a simple formulation: sweet ube ice cream (known for its vanilla-meets-pistachio flavor), enveloped in a rice-flour-based, purple-hued (from fruit and vegetable juice), mochi wrapper.

May 28, 2023 by Catherine Zhang Leave a Comment. Soft and chewy purple ube mochi filled with a sweet and creamy ube custard.

Sweet Potatoes and Health

Sweet potatoes with purple flesh are richer in anthocyanins. Beta-carotene and anthocyanins are naturally occurring plant “phyto” chemicals that give vegetables their bright colors. These phytochemicals are researched for their potential role in human health and disease prevention.

The purple sweet potato goes by a few names, and there are two common varieties. One is the Okinawan sweet potato, which is called beni imo in Japan; it's also known as the Hawaiian sweet potato or uala. The other is Stokes Purple, a name patented by a North Carolina farmer around 2006.

Purple sweet potatoes are a good source of beta-carotene but are an even richer source of anthocyanin pigments, which act as antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation and boost your immune system.

Purple-colored sweet potatoes contain high levels of Vitamin C and anthocyanin - a flavonoid responsible for the purple hue. And, get this; they possess the highest level of antioxidants, phenolics, and soluble dietary fiber.

What is the best purple sweet potato? ›

Offering a well-balanced sweetness and texture, Stokes Purple^® sweet potato is a unique variety with purple skin and rich purple flesh that intensifies when cooked.

Okinawan sweet potato has a lower Glycemic Index than ube does (54 vs 79), meaning it is less likely to cause large increases in blood sugar levels and may support weight loss and prevent chronic diseases related to obesity – such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

What's Mochi? Mochi (pronounced MOE-chee) is a Japanese dessert made of sweet glutinous rice flour or mochigome. Mochi dough is often tinted with green tea powder (matcha) or other food colorings and wrapped around a sweet center to form a small, bite-sized confection with a chewy, smooth, elastic texture.

Endlessly versatile, mochi take on many forms: Stuffed mochi treats, called daif*cku, have sweet fillings, such as anko (a sweet red bean paste made from azuki beans). Vivid green kusa mochi are made with Japanese mugwort (a close cousin to the stuff that gives absinthe its color) that's kneaded into the dough.

The average mochi ball is about 100 calories. Whereas filling up a bowl of ice cream might equate to over 350 calories, a small 100 calorie snack won't throw off your weight loss goals. A small taste of indulgence will keep you motivated and happy throughout the day.

Mochi sweets or mochigashi (餅菓子) are traditional Japanese confectioneries made from glutinous rice, non-glutinous regular white rice, kudzu starch, or bracken starch. Many kinds of mochi sweets are stuffed with red bean paste, but there are some that do not include the red bean filling.