Certainly, the world is alight with the craze for mochi ice cream. Of course you wouldn’t blame the multitude of lovers of this ice cream considering how delicious it is. It is really an impressive new approach to ice cream generally, perfectly unifying your rice ball with great ice cream. While the love of mocha ice cream seems to be just penetrating the United States, the affection for mochi ice cream in Japan is aggressively obsessive – they terribly love it. Mochi on its own is highly coveted in Japan and is almost inseparably conjoined with the very history of ancient Japan. Let us enjoyably learn more about mochi.
Table of Contents
What is Mochi?
To start with, mochi is a type of Japanese wagashi made from sticky rice. It is more of rice dough but this time notably sticky.(✿ ◜◒◝ )
Mochi and the Japanese New Year
Agreeably, the crave for mochi is so great that there is no season that it isn’t savored in Japan. Eaten all through the year, mochi, however, adds a renewed allure around the period of the New Year. This is because the Japanese symbolically associate mochi with good fortune. While being really ancient (dating as far back to 794 A.D), Mochi is still remarkably trendy in modern culture.
It’s the One Lovely Sticky Dessert
These days, it is common to see mochi pounded neatly after it is ground and occasionally steamed. Consequent to these procedures, mochi conventionally comes out in form of a sticky dough which is deliciously chewy. In most cases, mochi has no color to it as it is commonly white. However, should you go choose, you can add additives to add a coloration to your mochi. The natural sweetness of mochi is not that overwhelming or bold, so a number of enthusiasts go for the enhanced versions of mochi like daifuku which present a mochi enchantingly enhanced with additives into very delicious snacks.
It’s all Over Social Media
Going further to realize the lovable mochi ice creams, the mochi here is now wrapped around ice cream balls. Simply, this is one dessert you will need the highest form of self-control to resist. We see these mouthwatering desserts readily plastered over Social Media Like Instagram and we are forgiven when we drool at the sight of these mochi ice cream balls. Beware, the deliciousness is addictive especially the matcha, vanilla, strawberry and chocolate mochi ice cream.
How Does Mochi Fit into Japanese Society?
Here is a big warning for you. You can joke with a Japanese on anything but never joke with them when it comes to mochi. No doubt, it is worth dying for. As said, in the Japanese New Year ceremonies, mochi takes an integral role. Not only for its deliciousness but also for its spiritual significance. Mochi heralds the New Year and is perceived in Japan as the “sign of the season”.
Mochi and its Japanese Symbolism
Over the years, there have been different types of mochi. Over the centuries as well with evolving Japanese culture, mochi has taken several traditional symbolism as well. In previous times because mochi was well revered for the good fortune it brings, it became well esteemed by aristocrats in the Japanese society. Mochi was seen as nourishing and also symbolizing hope for those in need in the Japanese society.
More than these, it is well savored as well for it being tremendously feeling. This emphasizes it economic value for sustenance. Just a little mochi and you feel fed to your neck.ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
One of the Most Popular Japanese Sweets
In a society already obsessed with sweets, mochi becomes an indispensable darling of the Japanese people being sticky and enchantingly sweet especially in the form of desserts. The stickiness is also appreciated as well.
Marveling at the Mochi Ice Cream
Mochi ice cream balls are admittedly eye-catching. It is very rare to walk past the sight of mochi ice cream and not crave a taste. Loved over Japan, they are notably being a favorite in the United States. Groceries stores in the US are getting stacked with these amazingly sweet mochi ice cream.ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
Mochi and the American Connection
Basically, the mochi ice cream is a famous confection which is prepared from the mochi we have been talking about (which is sticky rice mostly pounded) and delectably laced with some great ice cream. A sure banger for your taste buds, mochi was remarkably invented by an activist Frances Hashimoto of Japanese-American heritage. Isn’t this exciting? Surely we will be learning about the exploits of this great woman later on in course of this exposition.
Enhancing Your Mochi
Well, the ice cream admittedly adds to the marvel of your mochi, while the mochi still largely contributes a major fraction of the sweetness. The mochi itself is majorly responsible for the texture. If you want to be more adventurous with your mochi ice cream, say you want to make it more tantalizing, you can bring in other flavors like plum wine, your kona coffee. Even you can also flavor your mochi ice cream with red bean or green tea. You just can’t resist the combined flavor here.
Many people take the approach of dusting their mochi with cornstarch while making their mochi ice cream. Others in separate scenarios use potato for the dusting. The reason here is to keep the mochi from sticky in the handling process.
Why The Mochi Ice Cream is Popularly Loved
The love for mochi ice cream is blazing. You may be wondering why people are crazily head over heels in love with this recipe. Let us look at why the love for mochi ice cream is so gigantic.
The Deliciousness Beats that of Your Normal Old Sweet Treat
Gosh, mochi ice cream is delicious! No doubt you have must have consumed a great deal of your conventional sweet treats. You must have dealt heavily with cakes, you must have walloped a lot of brownies. But when you taste mochi ice cream, you will loudly testify that you are in for something new and incredibly savory. Once in, you are surely going to find it hard to remove mochi ice cream for your life. This is because the texture and the flavors are obsessively sweet and like no other. And when you go as far as combining it with seeming pastries like the mochi dough, you are lost in the deliciousness!
Its Unique Excitement
There is this unique enthusiasm that comes with the sight of mochi ice cream. It is like all the cells in your body are crying for a taste of it. Could you be hosting a dinner party and you feel you want to stun your guests with something more captivating than the customary apple pie? Then cut your mochi ice cream and delectably serve it with mochi tapas. You are surely going to kill your guest with merriment.
It’s a Ready Grab-and-Go Dessert
Mochi ice cream is quick and fit for the on-the-road quick consumption. Perfect for those in a rush. You don’t need that typical ice cream bowl.
How Mochi Ice Cream Came About in the US
How it Started Out in America
Mochi ice cream started out as the manjū as well as in the variant of the Japanese daifuku. At those times, it could feature the traditional Japanese adzuki bean. Gradually mochi was getting modifications turning out in form of rice starch well mashed with rice milk in place of the normal ice cream we know today.
With the passage of time, the modern mochi ice cream made its memorable debut in the United States. This was via the ingenious handwork of Frances Hashimoto who was remarkably an activist.
The Mochi Grand Matron Frances Hashimoto
Frances Hashimoto who also served in the position of CEO and president of Mikawaya can be rightly called the American mother of mochi ice cream. Joining her creativity lovably and affectionately with that of her husband (Joel Friedman), the amiable couple thought far past the normal brainstorming the possibility of making small ice cream orbs and wrapping them deliciously around the traditional Japanese mochi rice cake. Doesn’t this sound interesting?
So this was how a family birthed the idea of mochi ice cream now swarming all across the United States.
The Expansion of Production
Frances Hashimoto knew she had hit a revolutionary delicacy that will rock the United States. We went on to expand on the delicacy. She brought in seven fresh flavors to her mochi ice cream product line popularizing the mochi deserts so readily loved in America today.
Looking at the history book, in 1993 Frances Hashimoto’s Mikawaya kicked off the mass production of the mochi ice cream in the United States. Of course, many types of research and further development have been poured into mochi ice cream making it much more delicious than it started off.
4 Health Benefits of Mochi Ice Cream
While mochi ice cream is classic, the affectionate health benefits of mochi are aspect that makes a munch of mochi ice cream even more compelling.
1. High in Vitamins
Mochi ice cream is wealthily composited of vital vitamins. Mochi ice cream presents a voluminous amount of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Riboflavin as well as other essential minerals like iron and calcium. Also mochi ice cream is even tremendously helpful for nursing mothers especially when it is made with mugwort. This is also helpful for patients of anemia.
2. Admirably Free of Cholesterol
If you are very mindful of your diet, then mochi ice cream presents a very delicious way to keep fit and healthy. Notably, mochi is low in cholesterol while also measurably low in fats. Talking about carbohydrates, mochi proffers a healthy amount of complex carbohydrates especially if you prepare it with sprouted brown rice. Additionally, for those who are very conscious of their cholesterol intake, mochi is a great alternative for vegans. Mochi is totally organic and is impressively sweet so vegan or those beware of cholesterol don’t have to totally abandon desserts.
3. Low in Calories
Yes, while the mochi ice cream is admittedly laced with sugar, mochi which is traditionally prepared doesn’t always present a worrisome amount of sugar. As earlier mentioned, those prepared with sprouted brown rice are appreciably low in calorie.
4. Energy Boosting
Mochi is filling and ramps up your energy levels. While mochi significantly physically strengthens you, it is yet very easy to digest. This makes it just perfect for those circumstances when you are weak. Mochi also nourishes your spleen.
So are you already falling in love with mochi ice cream? Of course, it would be a happily ever after affair once you taste mochi ice cream. We have expansively seen why matcha ice cream would be an excellent treat for anyone whether on the go or relaxing lusciously at home.
We have examined how deeply situated mochi ice cream is in Japanese culture as well as how it penetrated the United States. More amusing in midst of all we have learned are the amazing health benefits of mochi ice cream. Without doubt, mochi ice cream is the dessert for everyone anytime.
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