Mochi

もち Also: Rice Cake, Daifuku
Dairy: Check with staff
Egg: Check with staff
Soy: Check with staff

Chewy Japanese rice cakes made from pounded glutinous rice, often filled with sweet red bean paste, ice cream, or flavored cream.

Allergen data cross-referenced against published allergen databases.

Your dietary restrictions

The full allergen breakdown is below. Select your restrictions to see a personalized safety status.

Full allergen breakdown

Ingredients

  • glutinous rice flour (mochiko)
  • sugar
  • water
  • sweet red bean paste (anko)

Hidden Ingredients

These ingredients are not typically listed on menus but are present in traditional preparations.

  • sometimes flavored with matcha or sesame
  • ice cream filling contains dairy (in ice cream mochi)
  • dusted with kinako (roasted soy flour)

Allergen Breakdown

Dairy-Free

Check with staff

Plain mochi is dairy-free. Ice cream mochi contains dairy. Verify the variety.

Gluten-Free

Likely OK

Mochi is made from glutinous rice, which is gluten-free. The name 'glutinous' refers to stickiness.

Peanut-Free

Likely OK

Peanuts are not used in traditional mochi.

Tree Nut-Free

Likely OK

Tree nuts are not in traditional red bean mochi.

Shellfish-Free

Likely OK

No shellfish in mochi.

Egg-Free

Check with staff

Some cream-filled mochi varieties use egg custard. Verify.

Fish-Free

Likely OK

No fish in mochi.

Soy-Free

Check with staff

Kinako (roasted soy flour) is a common dusting powder. Verify if the mochi has kinako coating.

Sesame-Free

Check with staff

Black sesame mochi and sesame-flavored varieties exist. Verify.

Vegetarian

Likely OK

Traditional mochi is vegetarian.

Key risk: Plain mochi with red bean filling is free from most major allergens. The risk comes from variations: ice cream mochi contains dairy, sesame-flavored mochi contains sesame, and mochi dusted with kinako contains roasted soy flour. Glutinous rice does not contain gluten despite the name.

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Important: Dish Scout is a reference guide, not medical advice. Traditional recipes vary by restaurant, region, and chef. Always verify ingredients with restaurant staff before ordering. When in doubt, don't eat it.