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Macadamia Nut Okoshi (Local-Style)

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It's been quite awhile since I've made this local-style macadamia nut okoshi. It's not that I don't like it. I actually can't stop eating it! My problem was that I couldn't find the main ingredient anywhere. If you're local and you've made this before you know exactly which product I'm talking about - that red box of Quaker Puffed Rice Cereal. I'm pretty sure the company discontinued it because I haven't seen a box in years, and I actively look for it whenever I head to any market. The other day though while I was at Don Quijote, I finally spotted a puffed rice cereal. It wasn't in the red Quaker box I'm accustomed to but rather in a plastic package, from the brand Arrowhead Mills™. I figured, why not give it a try?

I'm glad I did! This okoshi turned out great! The Arrowhead Mills™ Puffed Rice Cereal tastes just as good, or even better, than the Quaker brand. The end result was nice and crunchy.

Macadamia Nut Okoshi (Local-Style)

For those of you who are hesitant to make your own okoshi because you've encountered problems in the past, for example, you don't know when to stop cooking the caramel mixture for the perfect consistency or maybe your caramel hardens too quickly, don't worry. I've found that using a candy thermometer is the easiest solution for those two issues. Another handy tool I use is a potato masher. Sounds weird, right? But a potato masher makes it a cinch to evenly press the okoshi mixture in the pan. Super handy since you have to work quickly once you mix the cereal and macadamia nuts with the caramel.

Therefore, if you prep your work area before mixing the caramel and you also use those two tools, this local-style macadamia nut okoshi is really not difficult at all to make. Not like the authentic Japanese okoshi, where additional time and steps are needed to puff the rice by drying and frying it.

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