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A Love Letter to Mochi: From Cheung Chau to My Local Bakery
Just the other day, I walked past a Chinese bakery —
The window display was a visual feast: cream cakes, chocolate gateau slices, and whimsical birthday confections any child would adore. But what caught my short-sighted, glasses-aided eye was something far more intriguing: mochi. Not just mango mochi, but chocolate and strawberry too — a trio of glutinous delights calling out to me.
It sparked a memory. And it inspired this, my very first food post.
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My Mochi Origins: Childhood Bites
I love mochi. All shapes, sizes, and forms. Sweet or nutty, fruit-filled or even ice cream-stuffed — I’m here for all of it. Mochi has taken root in the UK too. Supermarkets now stock the ice cream versions, and your local Asian grocery — often owned by first- or second-generation Cantonese or Thai families — probably has a variety if you know where to look.
But back when I first tried mochi as a child, the only kind available was the traditional peanut-filled kind. No bells or whistles. Just simple, chewy joy in bite-sized form.
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Cheung Chau: A Mochi Memory
In 2016, I returned to Hong Kong with my wife and our four-year-old daughter to visit family in the…
