The Anatomy of a Mochi Ice Cream

Since we arrived in Hawaii nearly a year and a half ago, we'd often seen mochi ice cream for sale but had never tried it. I was once tempted to order one at Bubbie's, our favorite ice cream place, but since Bubbie's is really far away and an extra-special treat I just had to go with my usual haupia chip ice cream. (Haupia is Hawaiian coconut pudding, and Bubbie's homemade ice cream is absolutely amazing.) My only other experience with mochi was so-so, as blogged here, so I was reluctant to spend much to sample mochi ice cream. However, I recently noticed that the commissary carries a brand of mochi ice cream and last week my curiosity finally overcame my frugality and I forked over $3.50 for a box of six.

As soon as the first bites were in our mouths, our tongues were saying, "How could you go 18 months without treating us to this amazing melding of flavors?" and meanwhile our waistlines were saying, "Uh-oh..."

Each mochi ice cream is about the size of a small clementine. The mochi itself -- made of smashed, sweetened rice -- is a bit sticky, so each ball is dusted in flour. The mochi is sweet, chewy and has a mellow but unique flavor. And inside that is a ball of vanilla ice cream. (Or whatever flavor you choose.)

Mochi ice cream, as my husband so succinctly put it, is addicting! The box of six I bought on Thursday has long since been demolished, and our taste buds are already craving more!