Shiratamako / Mochiko

Shiratamako and mochiko are both glutinous rice flours, but they behave differently in wagashi. Shiratamako (白玉粉) is wet-processed and produces smoother, bouncier dango and mochi — the kind you see in Naruto festival scenes and Demon Slayer sakura sweets. Mochiko (餅粉) is dry-processed, slightly grainier, and more widely sold in North American Asian markets.

For three-color dango and sakura mochi on this site, shiratamako gives the clearer, softer chew associated with traditional wagashi. Mochiko works if you cannot find shiratamako; expect a slightly denser texture. Never substitute regular rice flour — non-glutinous flour will not gel and produces a crumbly, wrong result.

Buy from Japanese grocers or online; Bob's Red Mill sells "sweet white rice flour" that functions like mochiko. Store sealed in a cool, dry place; glutinous flours absorb moisture and can clump. Use within six months of opening for best texture.

• Budget pick: mochiko from a mainstream supermarket.
• Premium pick: imported shiratamako from Shiratama or domestic Japanese brands. When kneading, add water gradually — the dough should feel like an earlobe: soft, pliable, not sticky. Over-kneading makes dango tough; under-hydrating leaves a dry center after boiling.