What is Mochi?
You Already Know and Love My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream, But What is Mochi Itself?
Mochi Ice Cream has taken the world by storm. It’s a sweet treat and an innovative new take on ice cream that people are enjoying internationally. You and I know Mochi Ice Cream as a rice ball with delicious premium ice cream on the inside, but the word mochi actually has a larger meaning in Japan. Do you want to learn about the history of Mochi and how it has shaped Japanese society? Here are few things that you should know about mochi.
What is Mochi?
In Mochi Ice Cream, the word “mochi” mostly refers to the ball of sweet rice dough that encapsulates that delicious ice cream. In Japan, mochi in general is a type of rice cake. A piece of mochi about the size of a small matchbox is about the equivalent of eating an entire bowl of rice. This made it a popular meal amongst Samurai, as they had to find portable food that could keep them satiated for long periods of time. It was made out of red rice, and was used in religious rituals in the Shinto religion, as it was viewed as a “food of the Gods”. It’s known for being a symbol of good fortune and happy marriages.
How Does Mochi Fit Into Japanese Society?
To this day, mochi is a central part of the Japanese New Year celebration, and has been since the year 794. Mochi is regularly sold and consumed around the New Year and is known as a “sign of the season” in Japan. Different types of mochi have represented different things over the the history of mochi. Because mochi was symbolically linked to good fortune, the aristocratic class consumed it regularly.
Mochi Matters
It’s more than just a treat. In Japan, it’s a symbol of good fortune that was widely consumed by the aristocracy. It represents sustenance for those that need it, as it’s incredibly filling. More than that, it’s something that we enjoy even today as a treat that many people love. Mochi has been popularized around the world as an ice cream treat, which the word Mochi is now synonymous with almost everywhere. Even in Japan, people associate the word Mochi with the ice cream. It is a sweet, sticky, dense treat that’s good for both sustenance and for taste, and My/Mo Mochi is proud to have popularized the treat all around the world.
Mochi is More Than Just Ice Cream
Making the ice cream experience portable with new flavors and a new delivery process is incredible, but it doesn’t compare to the rich history that the sweet rice dough itself has. Next time you’re biting into Mochi Ice Cream, think to yourself that you’re biting into a little bit of history. That sweet rice dough has been around since the year 794, maybe even before that. It was just in the last one hundred years that My/Mo revolutionized it by making it an innovative new way to eat ice cream.
