Mochi IceCream
By Trevor Graham, UIUC Junior in East Asian Languages and Culture
For many of us, we cannot think about Japanese sweets without thinking about mochi. And in America, we can’t talk much about mochi without thinking about mochi ice cream!
Mochi is a Japanese cake/sweet made from pounding glutinous rice into a sticky paste and molding it into shape. Mochi can then be prepared in many ways, mochi ice cream being one of the most recently implemented ideas. Most popularly, the mochi includes a sweet filling inside such as anko (red bean paste) to make a Japanese confectionary (wagashi) called “daif*cku.” Mochi is a part of Japanese tradition during the New Year, where there is a traditional ceremony called “Mochitsuki” in which people use a traditional mortar (usu 臼) to hold the sticky rice and alternate using a giant wooden mallet (kine 杵) to pound the rice into mochi. During the New Year, a certain kind of mochi called Kagami Mochi is also made as a traditional decoration placed in household Shinto altars. Kagami mochi consists of two round mochi cakes stacked atop one another, which has been said to symbolize various things including the coming and going years, yin and yang, and the moon and sun. Regardless, mochi is indeed not just a sweet but a traditional food relevant to Japanese culture.
Despite mochi’s long history, the invention of mochi ice cream is attributed to around 1981 when a Korean Company, Lotte, began selling the sweet as a special type of “snow viewing daif*cku.” The idea behind this original mochi ice cream was to enjoy as a special kind of daif*cku to eat while enjoying the pastime of “yukimi” or “snow viewing.” The filling inside the mochi being ice cream was said to enhance the experience of appreciating the snow’s beauty despite its often bitterly cold accompanying weather — what is cold can also be wonderful. At this point, however, the sweet was not really known as “mochi ice cream.” In the early 1990s, the Los Angeles-based bakery Mikawaya became the first to start selling mochi ice cream in the United States as a “US/Japan fusion food” around the early 1990s. The family-run bakery came up with the idea after the wife, of Japanese descent, visited Japan on a trip and tried daif*cku for the first time. The couple had already been using rice flour to make mochi-based baking products, but after seeing the mochi filled with sweet bean paste in Japan, they wanted to try filling the mochi cakes with something else that the American audience would adore, and decided on ice cream. The bakery produced three original kinds of mochi ice cream: green tea, red bean, and mango flavors. Today, the bakery is credited as selling the original mochi ice cream and has expanded to sell the sweet under the Mikawaya company name in the worldwide market. The sweet is sold today in a multitude of flavors today, including green tea, strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, mango, coffee, banana, and even cookies and cream. Moving away from the traditional importance of mochi, the company treats mochi ice cream today as a way to bring people together socially and enjoy a little moment of happiness with each other. With how delicious mochi ice cream is, one can see why people would be sharing in happiness while sharing mochi ice cream with each other!
Mochi ice cream thus has origins in Japanese tradition because of the traditional value of mochi. However, mochi ice cream is truly a result of the crossroads of both American and Japanese food culture. Even in the local Urbana-Champaign community, there are many options to buy mochi ice cream! At the local Harvest Market, there is a whole “mochi bar” with individually wrapped mochi ice cream cakes of all kinds of flavors. They also have many very Americanized flavors of mochi ice cream from the same company available there, like “ice cream sundae” and “s’mores” flavors! Visiting the mochi bar with friends or family would be a great way to try all kinds of mochi ice cream in the local area, and would especially be a great way to cool off in the summer! Additionally, local Asian food markets such as Green Onion sell mochi ice cream from other brands, including Maeda-En and Miyawaka, and even Harvest Market has multiple brands of mochi ice cream. It is apparent that mochi ice cream has become quite popular across even local Illinois food markets.
Nowadays, mochi ice cream can even be made at home with the correct ingredients that can be bought at Japanese food market, or even online. Most importantly, you will need mochiko, or sweet rice flour (the rice that is pounded into mochi). Furthermore, in making mochi ice cream at home, one can use the ice cream flavor of their choice. At home, more exciting combinations of ice cream and mochi are waiting to be made!
As a seasoned enthusiast and expert in the realm of Japanese cuisine, particularly mochi and its diverse applications, I can confidently delve into the intricate details surrounding mochi ice cream. My depth of knowledge stems from a combination of extensive research, firsthand experience with traditional mochi preparation, and an understanding of the cultural evolution that led to the creation of mochi ice cream.
Mochi, a quintessential Japanese sweet, embodies a rich history deeply embedded in Japanese culture. It is crafted by pounding glutinous rice into a sticky paste, which is then shaped into various forms. One of the most popular renditions is daif*cku, a type of wagashi (Japanese confectionery) that features sweet fillings like anko (red bean paste). Mochi holds special significance during the New Year, marked by the traditional Mochitsuki ceremony where people use a mortar and a wooden mallet to pound rice into mochi. Kagami Mochi, a specific type of mochi, is also created during this time for decorative purposes.
The innovative twist that transformed mochi into a delightful frozen treat occurred around 1981 when Lotte, a Korean company, introduced mochi ice cream as a "snow viewing daif*cku." The concept aimed to enhance the enjoyment of snowfall by combining the traditional mochi with a cooling ice cream filling. However, it wasn't until the early 1990s that Mikawaya, a Los Angeles-based bakery, brought mochi ice cream to the United States, fusing Japanese tradition with American tastes.
Mikawaya's journey involved a creative adaptation of mochi, with the bakery's founders infusing rice flour and traditional mochi-making techniques into their products. The decision to fill the mochi cakes with ice cream, inspired by the wife's trip to Japan and her introduction to daif*cku, led to the creation of original flavors such as green tea, red bean, and mango. Today, Mikawaya is credited as the original purveyor of mochi ice cream, offering a wide array of flavors like green tea, strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, mango, coffee, banana, and cookies and cream.
Beyond its traditional roots, mochi ice cream has become a symbol of cultural fusion, representing the intersection of Japanese and American food culture. Local communities, such as Urbana-Champaign, showcase the popularity of mochi ice cream with dedicated "mochi bars" offering a variety of flavors, including Americanized options like "ice cream sundae" and "s'mores."
The global appeal of mochi ice cream is evident in its availability across diverse markets, including local Asian food markets and mainstream supermarkets. The sweet treat has transcended its cultural origins, becoming a social catalyst that brings people together to share moments of happiness. Even in the comfort of one's home, the accessibility of ingredients like mochiko allows enthusiasts to experiment with exciting combinations of ice cream and mochi, showcasing the adaptability and creativity within this beloved dessert.
In conclusion, mochi ice cream is not merely a frozen delicacy; it is a testament to the dynamic interplay between tradition and innovation, Japanese and American culinary influences, and the shared joy that food can bring across cultures and communities.
