Do you have any leftover "kinako" that you bought for mochi during the New Year? If you've already eaten the rice cakes and have no use for the kinako, here's a recipe for raw kinako. It has a moist, melting texture like raw chocolate and a rich flavor.

Raw soybean flour recipe

Ingredients

The ingredients are as follows. These quantities will make about 10 bite-sized pieces.

5 tablespoons unsweetened kinako (soybean flour)
1 tablespoon brown sugar or sugar
3 tablespoons milk or soy milk

Directions

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Crush any lumps of sugar as much as possible.



If it's not runny enough, add more milk; if it's too runny, add more soybean flour.


Wrap in plastic wrap and shape into a board. Chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes to make it easier to cut.



Take it out and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle with soybean flour or cinnamon to taste.

How does it taste?

It has the softness of a fresh confectionary, but the texture is moist and rich. The aroma of kinako (soybean flour) can be felt with gusto.


The sweetness is gentle, but the taste is rich, so even a small amount is satisfying. It is a perfect snack for tea.

Raw soybean flour is easy to make and requires no special ingredients. If you want to make it as a snack for yourself, you can cut off the molding procedure and just eat the mixture with a spoon. If you make it with more milk, you can also use it as a kinako paste to spread on bread or crackers!