Japanese sweets shop selling viral treats opens soon in Toronto
A University of Toronto student is bringing viral Japanese sweets to Toronto after leaving their corporate job in Japan.
Let me be honest: I could crush an entire tray of mochi in one sitting. There's something about its chewy, soft, elastic and slightly sticky texture that seems unachievable in any other realm of the food world.
Lucky for me, and my fellow mochi fans, Atelier Mochi, a new shop specializing in viral Daifuku, is bringing all that sweet stuff to Toronto.
Born and raised in Japan, Atelier Mochi's owner, who remains unnamed in her many videos documenting the process of opening the business on Instagram, moved to Toronto to study at UofT, making her sweet treats for bake sales and friends, but she always had a dream of opening a small shop one day.
She started to climb the corporate ladder by moving back to Japan and working for a global consulting firm, but her dreams didn't stop. Realizing the two things she loved were making Daifuku and bringing people together, she decided to pack her bags, return to Toronto and bring her sweet treats with her.
"Daifuku" directly translates to "Good Fortune" and carries a slight difference from its plain mochi Sister.
Mochi is made by steaming and pounding glutinous rice until it becomes the chewy texture we all know and love. It is not always sweet, as is mistakenly believed. Savoury variations can often be found during Japanese New Year, where it's grilled and placed in soups and other Japanese dishes.
Daifuku, on the other hand, carries that sweet filling we all adore. The Japanese sweet is made by wrapping the mochi dough around a sweet filling, traditionally red bean paste, but it can really contain anything; ice cream, fruit and matcha being three of the most popular.
To simplify: Mochi refers to the rice cake itself, while Daifuku is a sweet made with Mochi.
Although there is no exact opening date, every step of Atelier Mochi's journey to opening is being documented on Instagram, so you can keep up with the latest news there.
