One of the most fun things to do in the World Showcase at EPCOT is to sample foods from around the world.

We always find those little gems of snacks from each country, like Jammie Dodgers in the U.K., pizza-flavored chips in Japan (only ONE of our favorite things in that spot), and more. Well, we just found what is traditionally a Japanese treat, mochi, in the China Pavilion. Obviously, we were interested in seeing how it differed from the Japanese version, so we tried it out.

Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made of short-grain sweet rice that is turned into a paste and then molded into a shape around a filling (and both savory and sweet fillings are often used). The Mixed Mochi we picked up at the House of Good Fortune at the China Pavilion for $12.95, though, was made in Taiwan. Although it says “Japanese Mochi” on the box, it’s a little different.

There were three flavors in the box, including Sesame Mochi, which was covered in sesame seeds with a sweet sesame paste filling. 

We found this to be delicious, and the rich smoky flavor from the sesame seeds worked perfectly with the sweet paste inside. If you like sweet and savory, you might like this.

The Red Bean Mochi is probably the closest thing in this box to a traditional Japanese mochi. The outside is dusted with a sweet paste on the inside. This is basically the kind of flavor you get from Japanese red bean treats (no, it’s not like the beans you’re thinking of — red beans are often used for sweet treats in Japan). So if you want something sweet, this is a great snack.

The Peanut Mochi was probably the most unique of the three flavors. They tasted as if they had some kind of Sweet Chili in the filling, although we also got a peanut candy kind of flavor. The outside is dusted with what seems to be peanut powder, but the smell reminds us a little of seaweed. These do not smell like a dessert. However, the inside is very sweet, but it’s not like peanut butter, but more like a peanut butter paste with something like seaweed or matcha. So it’s sweet, but also savory, if that makes sense.

Here’s the thing: if you’ve never had mochi before, go to Mitsukoshi in the Japan Pavilion and get some authentic mochi there. This mochi is more of an alternative for those who’ve had traditional mochi and want to try something new. We also want to warn you that mochi has a texture that is problematic for some folks, and these flavors might not be for everyone.

We’ll keep trying any other new snacks we find at Disney World, so stay tuned to DFB for more.

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Have you ever tried mochi? What flavors are your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

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