GABA Oolong and Dried Plum Mochi
Chewy mochi filled with a GABA Oolong-infused dried plum paste — a soft, calming dessert that echoes the tea's own fruity, low-astringency character.
GABA Oolong's natural dried-plum and tamarind notes make it a near-perfect match for a dried plum filling, so this mochi recipe leans straight into that pairing instead of working against it. A strong tea reduction gets folded into the plum paste, deepening its fruitiness with a gentle tannic backbone.
Mochi's soft, chewy texture suits this tea well — neither element demands much from the palate, making for a dessert that feels gentle and unhurried rather than rich or heavy. It's the kind of sweet you can enjoy slowly, alongside a second cup of tea.
Work with the mochi dough while it's warm and pliable; it firms up quickly once cooled, so have your filling portioned and ready before you start wrapping. A light dusting of glutinous rice flour (or cornstarch) keeps everything from sticking.
Serve these at room temperature with a fresh cup of GABA Oolong on the side. The tea in the cup and the tea in the filling create a quiet echo of flavor that makes this pairing feel intentional rather than incidental.
Ingredients
- 1 cup glutinous rice flour
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup strongly brewed GABA Oolong
- 1 tbsp neutral oil, plus more for hands
- 1/2 cup pitted dried plums (or dried prunes), chopped
- 2 tbsp strongly brewed GABA Oolong (for filling)
- 1 tbsp honey
- Glutinous rice flour or cornstarch, for dusting
- Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
How to make it
- 1Make the filling: simmer chopped dried plums with 2 tbsp brewed GABA Oolong and honey over low heat for 5–7 minutes until soft and jammy. Mash into a paste and let cool. Roll into 8 small balls.
- 2Make the dough: whisk glutinous rice flour, sugar, water, 1/4 cup brewed tea, and oil together until smooth.
- 3Steam the batter (covered) for 15–20 minutes until translucent and gummy, stirring once halfway through.
- 4Let the dough cool just until safe to handle, then turn out onto a surface dusted with rice flour.
- 5With oiled hands, divide the dough into 8 pieces. Flatten each piece, place a plum filling ball in the center, and wrap the dough around it, pinching to seal.
- 6Roll each mochi smooth, dust lightly with rice flour, and finish with a few toasted sesame seeds. Serve at room temperature.
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