Warabimochi is made by adding water and sugar to warabi-ko, the starch taken from the roots of the bracken fern, and kneading it over heat. It is eaten with kinako (roasted soybean flour) and kuromitsu (brown sugar syrup).
Only a tiny amount of starch can be taken from bracken roots, so pure hon-warabi-ko is extremely precious. Warabimochi made from it has a dark tinge, with a distinctive, strong elasticity and a melt-in-the-mouth quality.
There is also warabimochi filled with bean paste; wrapping soft bean paste in the jiggly dough is a craftsman's technique that is not easy to imitate.
