Comments on: Mochi ice cream inventor Frances Hashimoto dies of cancer

By: blueworld

blueworld — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 23:48:00 +0000

Mochi itself (the sticky wrapper on mochi ice cream) is a traditional Japanese sweet. It’s made of sticky rice that’s kneaded for hours until it’s smooth.

I don’t know how they manage to wrap it around ice cream. I’ve made red bean filled mochi balls, and we had to handle the mochi when it was still hot enough to be painful. You make a ball, squish it flat, and wrap it around a pre-frozen ball of red bean paste.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 22:49:00 +0000

Yummy indeed. But too much plastic packaging for my liking. Anyone have a useful DIY project that makes use of the otherwise landfilled plastic?

By: Lelielle

Lelielle — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 20:48:00 +0000

This is one of my FAVORITE desserts, I might pick up some Yukimi Daifuku this weekend

By: Cary Allen

Cary Allen — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 20:17:00 +0000

Sorry to hear of her untimely passing. That dessert is scrumptious. It’s a hard slog to succeed with a niche food product with a small product line, and it’s nice to see such a success story knowing the additional obstacles she faced because of her circumstances. I’m sure she will be missed by all connected to her. Hopefully the company is in good hands and we all get to continue to enjoy her legacy.

By: TheMadLibrarian

TheMadLibrarian — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:50:00 +0000

I love mochi ice cream, but save it for special treats. Where I live, that tray of 6 little scrumptious pillows is over $5.

By: Xeni Jardin

Xeni Jardin — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:34:00 +0000

Post edited to correct my chemobrain-induced typo on the name of the brand and the boutique: Mikawaya, not Miyakawa.

By: Spencer Cross

Spencer Cross — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:27:00 +0000

So disappointing to hear. :( I’ll second the recommendation on a trip to Miyakawa. I’m sure they’re serving the same packaged frozen product that you buy in the store, but for some reason (maybe the temp they hold it at?) theirs seems much better.

By: Xeni Jardin

Xeni Jardin — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 18:49:00 +0000

why, why, why did you have to inform me of this irresistible fact

By: Monkey_pants

Monkey_pants — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 18:28:00 +0000

Sriracha is good on everything!

By: Ari Baronofsky

Ari Baronofsky — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 18:24:00 +0000

I only just got introduced to mochi ice cream this summer, after seeing it at Trader Joe’s. I’ll need to get some in her memory.

By: Alan Olsen

Alan Olsen — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 18:20:00 +0000

Mochi is widely carried in Asian grocery stores as well. The green tea flavor is my favorite. My daughter is a mochi fiend. Surprised to hear it was invented in LA.

By: OohErMissus

OohErMissus — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 18:20:00 +0000

Hopefully not at the same time with the mochi ice cream!

By: nicholas1987

nicholas1987 — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 18:11:00 +0000

And Sriracha!

By: Gary Iacobucci

Gary Iacobucci — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 18:03:00 +0000

I had no idea that mochi ice cream started right there. Any time my Japanese class in high school went to LT, they’d give us free mochi ice cream treats.

By: Cat

Cat — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 17:59:00 +0000

Those things can be quite successfully deep-fried. It’s like they come pre-battered. Crispy with a core of half melted green tea icecream.

By: CliffordS

CliffordS — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 17:57:00 +0000

I love mochi ice cream. It’s the superior way to eat ice-cream with your hands. Ice cream sandwiches have a tendency to leave cookie residue on your fingers.