
Research and development took over a decade to evolve into the mass production form used today, due to the complex interactions of the ingredients. Mikawaya began production of mochi ice cream in the United States in 1993. Hashimoto introduced seven flavors in the mochi product line. Frances Hashimoto expanded on her husband's idea, inventing the fusion dessert now popular in the United States and elsewhere. Hashimoto's husband, Joel Friedman, conceived the idea of taking small orbs of ice cream and wrapping them in a Japanese traditional mochi rice cake. įrances Hashimoto, the former president and CEO of Mikawaya, is credited as the inventor of mochi ice cream. The company first made the product by using a rice starch instead of sticky rice and a rice milk instead of real ice cream. Īn early predecessor form of the dessert was originally produced by Lotte, as Yukimi Daifuku in 1981. This is to achieve the right viscosity that will remain constant regardless of changes in temperature. Due to the temperature and consistency of mochi and ice cream, both components must be modified. Japanese daifuku and manjū are the predecessors to mochi ice cream, commonly featuring adzuki bean filling.

When making mochi, it is dusted with either potato or cornstarch to keep it from caking while being formed and handled. Mochi can also be flavored as a complement to the ice cream filling. Other flavors, such as Kona coffee, plum wine, green tea, and red bean, are also widely used. The traditional ice cream flavors used are vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. The ice cream adds flavor and creaminess to the confection while the mochi adds sweetness and texture. Mochi ice cream is a small, round confection consisting of a delicious soft, pounded sticky rice dumpling ( mochi) formed around an ice cream filling. It was invented by Japanese-American businesswoman and community activist Frances Hashimoto.

Mochi ice cream is a confection made from Japanese mochi (pounded sticky rice) with an ice cream filling.
