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That’s why mochi ice cream is one of the food trends this year
Mochi ice cream has been very popular for a few years now
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Some food trends only last for one season, while others enjoy constant popularity over many years – such as mochi ice cream. This article explains step by step how you can easily imitate the Japanese-Italian dessert at home.
Mochis come from Japan and are traditionally eaten there on New Year’s Day. It is a type of rice cake made from glutinous rice. There are sweet and savory versions – but none of them are filled with ice cream. Nevertheless, the recipe comes from our own ranks: The Japanese woman Frances Hashimoto invented the mochi ice cream and set a new trend in the USA that has spilled over to Germany. In this country, the product is already offered in one or the other supermarket, but it can also be easily imitated. Read what you need for this as follows.
Make mochi ice cream yourself: recipe for at home
You only need a few ingredients to prepare twelve ice cream balls:
- 160 grams of water
- 12 scoops of ice cream
- 160 grams of sugar
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
- food coloring
- 160 g sticky rice flour
Most of it you probably already have at home – except for this sticky rice flour. You can get the right variety either in the nearest Asian shop or else online. the food coloring is required to color the dough green, for example, but you can also do this as an alternative matcha powder use. You can decide for yourself whether the ice cream is vegan or not.
Once you have all the ingredients, proceed step by step:
- Put the flour and sugar in a bowl and mix both ingredients together. Then gradually stir the water into the mixture in small amounts with a whisk.
- If you would like to color the dough, add the desired food coloring drop by drop and stir the dough until it has reached the desired color.
- Take a pan, pour in the mixture and heat over medium-high, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to avoid lumps.
- If the dough becomes tough, you’re on the right track – now it’s time to keep stirring. It is best to do this until the mass is so sticky that it sticks to the spatula.
- Spread the cornstarch on a work surface, add the sticky dough and knead both together. Ideally, in such a way that eight portions of the same size are created.
- Flour your hands and form eight balls from the dough pieces together with the cornstarch, which you mash into flat discs. Be careful when doing this as the mass can be very hot.
- Place a scoop of ice cream in the center of each slice, then pinch the edges of the pastry upwards until the ice cream is completely encased. The edges are twisted together to close.
- After the balls have been sealed, the finished mochi ice cream must go straight into the freezer – and stay there for at least two hours. When it is nicely chilled, you can enjoy the sweet dessert.
Important: This is how you eat mochi ice cream correctly
As delicious as the mochi ice cream is supposed to be, there are certain risks associated with its consumption – especially for children and older people with third teeth: Since the dough is very tough, it should be chewed well before swallowing. Otherwise there is a risk of it getting stuck in your throat. If you want to be on the safe side, it is advisable not to eat the ice cream balls in one piece, but always cut them into small pieces before eating them.
Will mochi ice cream set a food trend in 2021?
Aside from being a low-calorie dessert, mochi ice cream is also vegan. Because instead of cream, only coconut milk is used for the original cream. But why is this unusual dessert said to be setting a food trend again this year? This could sometimes be due to the Netflix show “Waffel und Mochi”, a children’s cooking show with Michelle Obama. Or because the cold ice balls should simply be delicious – and are therefore perfect for summer 2021.
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