As the weather cools down and the holiday season approaches, roasted chestnuts become a beloved snack enjoyed by many around the world. Whether you’re strolling through the streets of New York or taking in the festive atmosphere in a bustling Tokyo market, the sweet and earthy aroma of freshly roasted chestnuts is unmistakable. In many Asian cultures, chestnuts hold a special place in traditional holiday feasts and seasonal dishes, making them more than just a simple winter snack. Tucked into a Thanksgiving stuffing, pureed into a rich soup, added to a stir fry, or just eaten out of hand, roasted chestnuts aren’t only a delicious seasonal treat; they are also packed with nutritional benefits. They are high in fiber and anti-oxidants, packed with vitamins, and thought to help control blood sugar.

I will confess that I have at times broken down and purchased jars of peeled and roasted chestnuts to use in recipes, and WOW do they charge you for the convenience. You can buy multiple pounds of chestnuts for what they charge for one little jar. I’ll show you how easy it is to roast chestnuts at home, so you can save money while enjoying this timeless treat. It’s so simple you’ll want to add this to your holiday traditions, so let’s get into it.

I start making by roasted chestnuts by scoring them with a sharp knife, making an X into the round side. This is a very important step, not just because it makes peeling them easier but more importantly it lets steam escape so they don’t explode in the oven!

Once all the chestnuts have been scored it’s time to boil them. This is a step that’s not traditional, and not totally necessary, but I find that it makes the chestnuts more creamy and moist. If you decide to skip this step, go straight to the roasting and add 5 more minutes to the roasting time.

After boiling them, drain the chestnuts and quickly pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel. Then they are ready to go in the oven and your home is ready to be filled with the intoxicating scent of roasting chestnuts. Put them on a baking sheet, with the X facing up.

Roast them for 12-15 minutes, the skins will be peeling back where you scored them and you’ll be able to see the golden chestnut meat underneath. You can place them all in a kitchen towel and gently squeeze them together to start the peeling process, or you can set them out in bowls and peel and eat as you go.

These are wonderful to set out as a cocktail snack along with my Ginger Saketinis. Or set them out with some fruit for an afternoon snack.

Save this space for wonderful recipes that are coming to help you use your roasted chestnut bounty. In the meantime though, check out some of our other popular holiday offerings. Like these Chocolate Matcha Cashews or this luscious Poached Fruit topping. I hope you love how simple and easy it is to prepare Roasted Chestnuts at home. Take a minute and leave a comment or question below, and don’t forget to tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love hearing from you!

Roasted Chestnuts

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• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: serves 2
• Category: snacks
• Cuisine: pan-Asian

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Ingredients

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• ½ pound raw chestnuts

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. With a small sharp knife, cut a small “x” into the round side of the chestnut and set them aside.
3. Fill a medium pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add the chestnuts and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and then dry them quickly with a clean kitchen towel. Set on a baking sheet with the round side up.
4. Roast them in the oven for 12-15 minutes on the middle rack. The skins should pull back where you scored it, exposing the golden chestnut meat.
5. Put the chestnuts into a clean kitchen towel and gather them up. Squeeze the chestnuts through the towel to get a start on the peeling. You will hear the skins crackle.
6. Place the roasted chestnuts into a serving dish and let everyone dig in. You can also peel all of the chestnuts first and serve them that way.

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Keywords: chestnuts, holiday, snacks

I feel like the words “bacon wrapped” alone should be enough to get you running into your kitchen, but these Bacon Wrapped Mochi are truly the perfect snack. Salty, sweet, and savory hit all the right notes; ready in minutes with just a handful of ingredients, these Bacon Wrapped Mochi take snacking to the stratosphere! My inspiration for this snack comes from bacon wrapped dates, which for many years featured prominently as a quick, last minute appetizer in my house, when I was strapped for time (literally every family get together) and needed something to serve with drinks. I loved how little effort was needed for something so delicious. As popular as bacon wrapped dates have become, hopefully these Bacon Wrapped Mochi will too.

Like its forefather, Bacon Wrapped Mochi follows a similar minimalist theme: only two items for the main item plus a simple two ingredient glaze. The glaze borrows from the all too addictive combination of bacon and maple syrup. By itself it’s a match made in pig heaven, but the touch of soy gives the glaze a toasty umami punch that you’ll love. Chewy delicious Bacon Wrapped Mochi bites are just as amazing as they sound, so let’s get into it.

Making Bacon Wrapped Mochi

If the only mochi you are familiar with are the little ice cream filled treats, you are probably feeling quite confused right about now. There are many different kinds of mochi or rice cakes enjoyed in Japan. Mochi is made from glutinous or sticky rice. It’s not the same type of rice you would eat with a Japanese meal. Traditionally, the glutinous rice is steamed and then pounded. The mochi is then eaten in lots of different ways: topped with sweet or savory sauces and condiments, stuffed with sweet beans, served in soups and stews, grilled until toasted and crackly, and even deep fried. Like rice, mochi is a blank canvas, and the sky is the limit on creativity.

The mochi that we use to make Bacon Wrapped Mochi is known as kirimochi. These are individually wrapped little blocks of shelf stable rice cakes. They are found in most Asian markets and easily found online. Kirimochi is incredibly convenient to keep on hand whenever you’re in the mood for mochi. Straight out of the bag, these mochi blocks are very dense and hard. But after they’re cooked, they have a fabulous soft, chewy and sticky texture that’s really fun. Once you make Bacon Wrapped Mochi, you are going to want to have a bag in your pantry at all times so you can whip this delectable snack up again and again.

I start making these Bacon Wrapped Mochi by cutting the kirimochi. Some brands are pre-scored to make it easier to cut through the mochi. Start by cutting into the mochi and then gently rock the knife back and forth to cut through the dense block. Each block should be cut into three equal pieces.

Then I cut the bacon slices in half. You can use whatever type of bacon you like but choose a standard cut. The thick cut bacon makes it difficult to cook through to the center once it’s wrapped and will prevent heat from cooking the mochi.

Once the bacon is cut, simply wrap one piece around a chunk of mochi. Then secure it at the end with a toothpick. Coincidentally, the toothpicks also make a simple handle for picking up and eating the mochi bites after they are cooked. It’s not necessary to soak the toothpicks in water. The cooking time is too quick to do any damage. However, make sure that your toothpicks are plain (no mint flavor!) and don’t have any plastic decoration that could burn in the pan.

A medium 10 inch pan should be large enough to fit all of your Bacon Wrapped Mochi. Place all of the pieces in the pan and then cook it over medium heat. Bacon has a lot of fat that will start to render as it cooks so it’s not necessary to put any extra oil in the pan. Once you’ve cooked one side and the bacon is nice and browned, flip it over and cook the other.

You will notice a lot of oil in the pan once you’ve cooked the mochi. Take a paper towel and mop up the excess grease. (Never pour grease down the sink or you will face plumbing problems down the road). Finally, add the maple syrup and soy sauce to the pan and cook it for a couple minutes, turning the mochi bites to coat them well in the glaze.

Let the Bacon Wrapped Mochi cook for another minute to get all nice and glazed in the pan sauce:

And now this perfect little snack is ready to serve. Believe me, they will be fought over!

You can serve these bacon wrapped mochi as an appetizer, or pass around at a cocktail party (yuzu margaritas anyone?), serve with other snacky dishes like Burdock Chips and Edamame Hummus, or just make a plate full and enjoy them as a meal all by themselves. However you decide to inhale them, leave a comment and let me know. And don’t forget to tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love seeing your creations!

Bacon Wrapped Mochi

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• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: serves 4
• Category: small plates
• Cuisine: Japanese

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Ingredients

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• 3 pieces kirimochi cut into 9 pieces
• 5 strips bacon
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup

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Instructions

1. Cut each piece of kirimochi crosswise into 3 smaller pieces and set aside.
2. Cut each strip of bacon in half.
3. Wrap each bacon half around a piece of mochi and skewer the end with a toothpick.
4. Place the bacon wrapped mochi in a medium pan.
5. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side until the bacon is browned and crisp and the mochi is soft. 
6. Tilt the pan to the side and use a paper towel to mop up any excess grease.
7. Add the maple syrup and soy sauce to the pan and roll the bacon-mochi in the sauce.
8. Cook for another minute, reducing the sauce and coating each bacon-mochi well.
9. Transfer the bacon wrapped mochi pieces to a plate and serve! 

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Keywords: bacon, mochi, snacks, appetizers, japanese