What is Mochi?

Feel like treating yourself to a little dessert after your meal at our Bothell Japanese restaurant? Try a little mochi ice cream! You won’t find a dessert that better intermingles the tastes of the West with the culture and aesthetic of Japan.

Mochi ice cream appears as a small, round lump of floury cake; this is the mochi, which is the Japanese version of the classic Chinese sweet rice cake. A gracefully distant relation to what we call “rice cakes” in the US, Japanese mochi are popular treats enjoyed for snacks and celebrations all across Japan. They are particularly important to the celebration of the lunar New Year, when mochi is traditionally eaten.

Mochi comes in many varieties, often formed into festive shapes or stuffed with a sweet-tasting filling. At Sushi Hana, our mochi comes stuffed with chocolate, strawberry, melon, or green tea ice cream. Come and try all four flavors today!