Ranking Reed Mochi Ice Cream — The Reed College Quest

Mochi ice cream was first made by Frances Hashimito, a Japanese American businesswoman who created a fusion of traditional Asian cuisine with one of the most beloved ‘grubs’ of all times by filling Japanese mochi or sticky rice dumplings with ice cream. As a non-expert but a huge consumer of these delicious little oval-shaped desserts, here is my ranking of mochi ice creams you can find on campus.

Bubbies

These ice cream mochi sold in packs of six are the best I could find on campus. They come in multiple flavors: strawberry, mango, blood orange, vanilla, and matcha green tea. If you ask for my counsel, mango and strawberry together share the first place in my heart. As a despiser of matcha green tea flavor, I would rank it at the end, next to vanilla and orange. However, if you happen to have atrocious taste, like my roommate, it deserves second place. Vanilla is decent but not the most stimulating. Orange is certainly interesting, but it’s always the last one on the shelf if you know what I mean.

Individual mochi also from Bubbies

Marketplace also offers individual mochis: strawberry and chocolate. I appreciate being able to gulp one piece at a time (however, six is not enough either). On the plus side, they are now bigger in size. The rice dumpling is also good. I would recommend the chocolate one without any hesitation; it is quite good, even though I have a preference for fruity flavors. But when compared with the strawberry flavor and its disappointingly artificial taste, it rightfully earns the sixth place.

My Mochi

Bon Appetit also sells ice cream mochi. But don’t get excited too fast; they bottom my list. Their flavors, mango and strawberry, feel too synthetic, and the mochi is too thick for my taste. However, they still make an appetizing dessert after a heavy meal, as long as you’re not too impatient.

The ranking ends here, but I invite you to try them out yourself to see if you agree with me. If you’re vegan, unfortunately, you won’t be able to find any plant-based versions yet. Nonetheless, I’m certain that ice cream mochi is the best tool to survive long working nights and add sugar to your life (and to your blood streams, of course).

Editor’s Note: The members of the Quest editorial board are with Mathilde’s roommate on the subject of the green tea flavor, and resent its characterization in this article. Even Commons Kyle ranked green tea among the superior flavors.