Grandma's Recipes 
大阪府 
* Photo is for reference 京都府 🌸 Spring · Autumn
Japanese Grandma's Homemade Ohagi (Sweet Rice Balls with Red Bean)
Ohagi are beloved Japanese sweets made of sticky rice wrapped in sweet red bean paste, traditionally prepared during equinox festivals. In Kyoto, grandmothers make these by hand for generations — each family with its own secret ratio of sugar to beans.
🧂 Ingredients
servings
* In traditional Japanese grandma cooking, measurements are approximate — think of them as guidelines rather than exact amounts.
| Main Ingredients | |
| Mochi rice (glutinous rice) | 2 gou (about 360ml) (Kyoto-grown was grandma's preference) |
| Regular rice | 1 gou (about 180ml) |
| Red Bean Paste | |
| Azuki red beans | 250g (200-300g recommended) |
| Sugar | 150g (Adjust to taste) |
| Salt | Just a tiny pinch |
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Wash both rices together, soak 30 min, then cook in rice cooker.
💡 Soaking ensures even cooking
- 2
Simmer azuki beans until soft, fold in sugar and salt to make paste.
💡 Stir gently for chunky texture
- 3
Partially mash cooked rice and shape into balls.
💡 Leave some grain texture
- 4
Wrap rice balls in red bean paste using plastic wrap.
📖 Memories & Stories
Every visit to grandma's home in Kyoto, she would make ohagi for the family. Growing up with her handmade ohagi shaped my lifelong love of Japanese sweets. Even now, I've never found anything that tastes as good.
Source: Learned from familyWritten from memory (Submitted by: シミズ)
🍽 Cultural Background
Ohagi is one of Japan's most iconic homemade sweets, deeply tied to Buddhist equinox traditions. Each grandmother has her own unique touch on sweetness and texture.
