Mochi donut

Mochi donuts, also known aspoi mochi, are afusionpastry crossing traditional American-styledoughnutsand Japanesemochi. The mochi donuts' "hybrid batter makes for a doughnut that is fluffy and moist, with a satisfying chew".An early iteration can be traced back toHawaiiin the early 1990s. Mochi donuts were popularized byMister Donut's "Pon de Ring" in the early 2000s.Mochi donuts are commonly formed into a circular shape, consisting of eight small balls that are easy to pull apart. They are made out ofglutinous rice flourortapioca flour.
One of the earliest iterations of mochi donuts can be traced to the development of "poi mochi" by Charmaine Ocasek inHawaiiin 1992.This iteration is a fusion of Americandonutsand Japanesemochiand "consisted of deep-fried balls of mashedtaroandmochiko, a Japanese short-grain sweet rice flour".
In 2003, the Japanese donut chainMister Donutlaunched "pon de ring"(ポン・デ・リング,Pon De Ringu), named after the Brazilianpão de queijobread. This iteration of the hybrid confection was popularized in Japan before spreading to the United States via Hawaii.Hawaii "tends to catch on to Japanese food trends before the rest of the [United States], thanks to its larger population of Japanese-Americans and closer proximity to Japan".The "pon de ring" style is shaped into a ring of eight connected small balls.On calling the "pon de ring" style a mochi donut,Epicuriousstated: "oddly enough, neither pon de ring or pão de queijo are made with glutinous rice flour. Both typically use tapioca flour, and while pão de queijo is gluten-free, most recipes for pon de ring also include wheat flour. [...] Some folks suggest the name has less to do with the glutinous rice flour that we often associate with foods called mochi and more to do with the phrase mochi-mochi, which describes a uniquely soft but elastic or even bouncy texture".
Mister Donut usestapioca flourto produce mochi donuts that are easy to pull apart. Another variation developed in the United States usesglutinous rice flourwhich produces a denser mochi donut akin to Hawaiian-stylebutter mochi.Mochi donuts made from glutinous rice flour "typically contain half the amount of calories as the standard cake or yeast doughnut".The Takeoutnoted that "mochi doughnuts have a crispy exterior, due to being fried or baked, and a chewy interior thanks to the use of"mochikosweet rice flour and that "some recipes are gluten free, since they use rice or tapioca flour rather than the conventional wheat variety".
Although mochi donuts can be made by hand, most bakeries use machines that mold the dough into the traditional ring shapes and drop them directly into the oil for more efficiency.
Mochi donuts can be found in various flavors and colors.Similar to "regular donuts, mochi donuts typically feature classic, buttery vanilla dough".Glazesthat feature "Japanese flavors likematcha,pandan, andubeare common".Mochi donuts are often found garnished with different toppings such as chocolate chips, sesame seeds, grilled coconut chips, fresh or candied fruit, matcha powder, or cinnamon sugar.
Mister Donut offers seasonal-themed variations with various glazes such as strawberry; they also offer a version made from chocolate dough and version that is cream filled.
Originally popular in Asia, mochi donuts rapidly gained popularity across theUnited Statesin recent years with the help of social media. Mochi donuts’ bright colors and playful shape, which is reminiscent of a flower or a bracelet, make them particularly photogenic.