A new convenience store sweet…but you need to be lucky to find it.

Whenever we see the words “先行発売” (“senkou hatsubai“) during our travels in Japan, we always step in for a closer look. That’s because it translates as “advance sales” or “pre-sale“, which means you might just discover the next big thing before it goes viral and becomes widely available.

So when we stopped by our local Lawson convenience store and saw those words on a large promotional poster, we were immediately intrigued.

▼ The poster was advertising a new type of doughnut called “Mochimochimochibee“.

“Mochimochi” is an onomatopoeic term for things that are wonderfully soft, squishy, springy, chewy, or doughy, like the texture of mochi (Japanese rice cakes). The word “Mochimochimochibee” goes overboard with the description, suggesting these doughnuts will be incredibly soft and chewy, and tacks on the suffix “bee” at the end, a term of endearment like “baby” or “cutie” in the Ibaraki dialect, to add a sense of cute plumpness to the product.

▼ There are two varieties, sugar and kinako, priced at 171 yen (US$1.10) each, and we bought both of them for a taste test.

▼ Another thing you should look out for at any store in Japan is the words “新発売” (“shinhatsubai”), which means “new release”.

Once we got these babies home, we found they were much heavier than expected, so we plonked one on the scales, where it weighed in at 102 grams (3.6 ounces); a lot heavier than a regular convenience store doughnut.

Releasing them from their packaging, they were plump yet elegant, with a look that wouldn’t seem out of place at a famous specialty doughnut store.

▼ Time to start the tasting with the “Mochibee Sugar“, which goes by the less playful English name “Donut with Sugar“.

The cross section doesn’t hint at any extra chewiness, so we weren’t entirely sure what to expect in terms of mochi mochi texture.

However, as soon as we bit into it, our eyes widened with surprise as it was insanely delicious. The exterior was slightly crispy, and the inside was incredibly fluffy, with just the right amount of chewiness.

The dough sprang back beautifully with every squeeze, making us wonder what the secret was behind the fantastic texture.

▼ Checking the back of the package revealed that it contained cracker flour and poppy seeds.

Cracker flour was a surprising element, as it’s usually used for making rice or wheat crackers. However, after taking another bite, we realised this may well be the secret ingredient behind the slightly crispy surface, with poppy seeds adding to the contrast in texture.

As for the delectable chewiness, this is probably due to the starch in the flour mix. The doughnut also contains soy flour, but it’s not really noticeable, and the entire treat has only a subtle sweetness, which adds to its greatness.

▼ Next up, we have the Mochibee Kinako, or “Donut with Soybean Flour“.

▼ The cross section here looked identical to the sugar doughnut.

The amount of kinako used is one that makes or breaks a Japanese sweet, as too much can drown out the other ingredients and too little will make it disappear on the palate.

▼ Here, though, Lawson shows extreme skill as the amount of kinako is perfect for the doughnut.

Again, the texture of the doughnut was a highlight – so much so that we couldn’t resist cutting a piece of the inside out to enjoy on its own, and we can confirm that it’s one of the mochiest doughs we’ve eaten.

While a lot of people rave about Japanese sweets, it’s often not just the flavours but the textures that contribute to their deliciousness. This new doughnut is testament to that focus, as the textures help to make the ingredients sing on the palate, lingering as you chew through every bite.

The only downside to the doughnuts is they’re not available nationwide – in fact, we couldn’t find any information about them at all online.

▼ We purchased ours at a Lawson in Tokyo’s neighbouring Chiba Prefecture.

Since it’s being marketed as a “pre-sale” product, we have high hopes that the doughnuts will soon be making their way to Lawson stores around the country. After all, 7-Eleven recently introduced doughnuts as a permanent item at stores in Saitama, Chiba and Tokyo, so our fingers are firmly crossed that these doughnuts will follow suit.

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