Measure mochiko by spooning it into your cup and leveling off—don’t pack it down, or your mochi will be too dense., Use fresh lemon juice and zest whenever possible for the best flavor., Use potato starch (not flour) for dusting to keep mochi soft and prevent stickiness., Microwave in short bursts and watch the cooking time closely to avoid overcooking and rubbery texture., Dust hands or keep them slightly wet when shaping for smooth, manageable mochi., Chilling sticky dough makes shaping easier., Try flavor variations such as replacing lemon with yuzu or lime juice and zest, adding matcha powder, or stuffing mochi with sweet red bean paste, lemon curd, or cream cheese., You can steam the batter as an alternative cooking method (15–20 minutes until translucent)., Store mochi in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days for best texture., Reheat gently in short microwave bursts or by steaming to soften mochi., Freeze wrapped mochi up to one month, thaw at room temperature, then refresh by steaming or microwaving.