Mochi is the sweet almost every visitor to Japan tries, and almost nobody gets to make. In this 90-minute hands-on workshop in Kyoto, you make two kinds yourself, then taste the teas that are made to go with them.
Your English-speaking instructor starts with a short introduction to wagashi - Japanese confectionery - and how it changes with the seasons. You then work the soft mochi dough by hand and shape a matcha mochi, before moving on to a seasonal fruit daifuku, wrapping whole fruit and sweet bean paste in a thin, translucent layer. Every step is demonstrated first and guided as you go, so no cooking experience is needed.
With the sweets finished, you sit down to a tea tasting. You try a Japanese green tea alongside roasted hojicha and learn how leaf, temperature and steeping time change what ends up in the cup - and why certain teas suit certain sweets. Eat some of what you made on the spot, and take the rest home in a box.
Groups are capped at 10, so there is room to ask questions and work at your own pace. Ingredients, tools, apron and takeaway box are provided. The recipes are gluten-free and vegan-friendly, and dietary requests can be accommodated with advance notice.
Meet at Passione Kyoto, marked by a motorcycle rental shop on the ground floor. Please arrive 5 minutes before the start time. If the venue changes, we will contact you via the booking platform and email at least one day before your activity.
Meet at Passione Kyoto, marked by a motorcycle rental shop on the ground floor. Please arrive 5 minutes before the start time. If the venue changes, we will contact you via the booking platform and email at least one day before your activity.
