I’m Usually a Chocolate Person, but This Frozen Dessert Has Totally Changed My Mind
This feature is part of The Kitchn’s Gift Edit, our editor-curated collection of gift ideas. Need more inspiration? Check out all our guides here.
In my past life, I started my mornings at 3 a.m. with coffee and a slice of chocolate cake, or a mocha donut, or a misshapen miso chocolate chip cookie, or … you get the idea. One truth about being a pastry chef is that you have to absolutely love sugar (being an early riser doesn’t hurt, either). When it comes to sweets, my Achilles heel is chocolate of any kind (you could probably bribe me to do just about anything with See’s; the brand practically produces my equivalent to Scooby Snacks).
If something is going to cause a totally uncharacteristic deviation from my never-ending love affair with chocolate, it has be seriously special. So you can imagine my complete surprise when I discovered an unexpected heaven found in the frozen delights crafted by Mochidoki.
What’s So Great About Mochidoki Mochi?
In case you’re not familiar with mochi ice cream, it’s essentially soft and chewy rice dough encasing a puck of decadent, flavorful ice cream. You may have seen boxes in the frozen aisle at the supermarket, but let me assure you that Mochidoki takes the frozen creation to a whole new level.
Shopping Director, Jada Wong, is lucky enough to receive Mochidoki’s Signature Box as a birthday gift from friends each year, so when she put me on to the brand, I knew I had to try its latest Valentine’s Day Collection.
Just as Jada promised, the mochi is absolutely delicious and is a perfect bite with a chewy, dough-y exterior and lush, flavorful interior. Mochidoki hit the nail on the head with the perfect ratio of mochi to ice cream, too — you’re never left with a brain freeze or a mouthful of solely frozen cream, nor will you find yourself tirelessly chewing on the outer sticky rice layer.
The flavors in the love-themed collection are as follows: Vanilla Chip (mellow and creamy with the extra texture and bite from mini chocolate chips), Strawberry (which tastes exactly like juicy, freshly picked strawberries and cream), Chocolate (a major favorite and totally decadent with pure notes of cocoa that aren’t overwhelming or heavy), and Habanero Chocolate (a spicy and sweet complex yet harmonious combo). The collection comes with two 4-piece boxes of each for 32 pieces total, so you can share the love (or just save it for yourself — you do you).
How Do You Eat Mochidoki?
I like to eat these mochi in a variety of ways. Sometimes I’ll take a few out of the freezer and just enjoy one at a time. This also lets the second (and third, maybe a fourth … ) soften slightly for maximum enjoyment. Other times, however, I’ll cut two pieces of mochi in half and sandwich it to another half of a different flavor (Strawberry and Chocolate pair together beautifully) and chow down that way. Once, when I wanted to make an event out of the eating experience, I curated a tasting menu, savoring each flavor and relishing the distinct tasting notes. This makes for a great date-night activity — perfect, considering the Valentine’s Day theme.
Bottom line: No matter how you plan on enjoying these delicious little bites, you can’t go wrong. I love them so much that I’m sending a box to my long-distance partner. We couldn’t make it work to see each other on February 14 this year, but I know this’ll sweeten his day. And hey, I might just order a second batch for myself! After all, there’s nothing else I’d rather be snacking on come Valentine’s Day.