Ohagi / Botamochi

Glutinous and non-glutinous rice are cooked together and lightly pounded, leaving the grains half-intact, then coated in bean paste, roasted soybean flour, or ground sesame. The point is not to pound it into full mochi — the grainy texture of the rice itself is part of the appeal. Some regions coat it in ground sesame or mashed edamame instead, and the sheer variety of coatings is said to speak to how broadly this sweet has been adapted. Lightly wetting the palms before shaping the ovals is said to be a known trick to keep the rice grains from sticking.

Rice is cooked and lightly crushed, then shaped into ovals or balls by hand. The outside is coated in chunky or smooth bean paste, soybean flour, or ground sesame; some shops are said to switch between chunky and smooth paste by season. The water ratio used to cook the rice alone changes how firmly it holds its oval shape, and is said to be what determines the final texture. Beyond the equinox, it is also said to be made at home for memorial gatherings and for entertaining guests.

One account holds that the speckled look of chunky bean paste's red bean skins was likened to bush clover in bloom, giving the name "hagi no mochi," which court women's speech softened into "ohagi." At the spring equinox the same sweet is said to be called "botamochi" instead, likened to peony blossoms — a naming custom said to survive in many regions. The custom of switching names between spring and autumn is said to reflect a sensibility common across wagashi generally: mapping a season's flowers onto a sweet.