Overview of Kuwana’s Mochi-Komugi
Kuwana’s Mochi-Komugi is a type of Japanese wheat made in Kuwana, Mie. Mie prefecture is where Ise Grand Shrine is located – Japanse hometown in the heart. The starch of this wheat has a unique texture so products using it become soft and chewy even only using the Mochi-Komugi.
It is medium-strong flour in which protein is contained about 9%.
You can get it only in “Sozai-sha” in Kuwana, Japan. (*There is nothing like this ingredient in the world at present because it is only developed in Japan.)
About the chewiness of the wheat
It is regarded that the lesser the ingredient called “amylose” is contained, the chewier the flour becomes. There are many plants that have chewy texture in the world such as sweet potato, green pea, corn, barley, millet, rice, and so on. However it was said that it was difficult to develop chewy wheat because of its complicated gene structure. But the chewy wheat which does not contain almost none amylose was developed in 1995. To be more technical side of view, the starch of general wheat is composed of 25% amylose and 75% amylopectin. Usually, when Wx gene that synthesizes amylose is activated, the starch will have a non-chewy texture. However, by not to synthesize amylose, it becomes a chewy texture in a very rare case. That natural change caused “Mochi-Komugi (chewy wheat)
Kuwana’s Mochi-Komugi Council (chewy wheat council in Kuwana)
“Kuwana’s Mochi-Komugi Council” was established in 2017 by people concerned about “Kuwana’s Mochi-Komugi” such as Mie prefectural assembly, Kuwana city council, JA (Japanese Agricultural Cooperatives), Chamber of Commerce in Kuwana, farmers, Manufercturers, Supplyers and so on. We hold committees regularly for the purpose to appeal the delicious taste of “Kuwana’s Mochi-Komugi” to the world. We keep spreading the taste of Japanese food to the world by setting up the booth at the exhibition in Hong-Kong and Taiwan, shiping sample to America and Spain and so on.
The antenna shop for Products of Kuwana’s Mochi-Komugi : MuGicafe
It is the antenna shop handling “Kuwana’s Mochi-Komugi”, which had renovated Japanese old house. You can taste various menus made from “Kuwana’s Mochi-Komugi” such as pancake, udon, pasta, Panini and so on. We also spread many products made from them.
*Awarded the shop design award in 2019
Awarded “Discover Countryside Tresures in Japan (MURA no TAKARA)
presented by Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries>
We were awarded 7th “Discover Countryside Tresures in Japan (MURA no TAKARA)” in 2020 being evaluated of cooperation with community and school, the challenge to the abroad and so on.
Annual event in Kuwana’s Mochi-Komugi fields
We hold events in Kuwana’s Mochi-Komugi fields such as sowing seeds, treading wheat sprouts, making scarecrows, and harvest every year. A total of about 70 people, mainly citizens, are joined during a half year.
Introduction of products with using Kuwana’s Mochi-Komugi
Kuwana’s Mochi-Komugi pancake mix
It is a pancake mix which contain 100% “Kuwana’s Mochi-Komugi”. You can make a pancake as if pancake holds mochi in it. You can easily make chewy pancakes by just mixing an egg and milk with this pancake mix and baking them in a flying pan.
It will be more delicious with some fruits, honey, cream and so on.
Omochi-Pasta (chewy pasta)
“Omochi-Pasta” is the dried pasta made from Kuwana’s Mochi-Komugi and durum wheat. It tastes like the fresh pasta and chewy texture even it is the dried pasta. You can enjoy firm and chewy texture when using it for cold pasta.
It is said from antiant time in Japan that rabbit pounds steamed rice in the moon to make rice cake so that cute rabbit character is on the design.
The diameter of pasta is 1.8 mm and boiling time is 7.5 mins.
Kuwana’s Mochi-Komugi flour
Kuwana’s Mochi-Komugi flour is one of flours, which is milled Kuwana’s Mochi-Komugi. Protain content is 9% (Type 55) if you mill them by straight manufacturing method. Since it has special feature in its starch, it becomes chewy texture by milling only this wheat.
It is too chewy to use it 100% for products, however if you change 30% of general flour to Kuwana’s Mochi-Komugi, products become moderate chewiness. It will become more chewy texture processing with incleasing the amount of water because it absorbs water well.