Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Spotlight on Mochi Balls


Fro-yo girl here. I'll be honest. Mochi balls are the reason I first tried tart frozen yogurt. When I first heard of mochi balls, I couldn't stop thinking about them, wondering what they were like. Most fro-yo shops seem to use Dae Doo Food's bingsu rice cake. Made in Korea, these mochi balls come in a light blue package and can be purchased from the refrigerated section at Kukje in Daly City (and probably most Korean markets). A package costs $2.99. The main ingredients are:


  • glutinous rice powder

  • sugar

  • corn syrup

  • salt

  • wheat flour

I found another brand of mochi balls, German Bakery, at Kukje. The balls had a stronger rice flavor and were more uneven in shape and size than the Dae Doo brand. However, the mochi balls were harder and not as fresh tasting as Dae Doo's.

I love how the sweet, chewy mochi balls add texture to the fro-yo experience. The downside is that they do become stale. You can spot a stale mochi ball by looking for a dried out, hardened texture.

A few fro-yo shops in the Bay Area make their own mochi balls and these deserve special mention:

* Coco Swirl - made by the owner's mom on a daily basis, comes in white and pink. The pink color comes from strawberries. Add as much as you want since it's a self-serve joint.
* Fraiche Yogurt - the best homemade mochi topping, big, chewy, soft squares. I find their fro-yo bland and not tart.
* Clear Optometry - offers the most variety, six flavors of mochi topping: strawberry, green tea, lemon, orange, original, Ghirardelli chocolate.

Of the three, I recommend trying Clear Optometry.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* KUKJE SUPER MARKET: 2350 Junipero Serra Blvd, Daly City, CA 94015
* COCO SWIRL: 35 Crescent Dr Ste E, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
* FRAICHE YOGURT: 644 Emerson Suite 110, Palo Alto, CA 94301
* CLEAR OPTOMETRY: 138 E 3rd Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I absolutely need to have mochi in my froyo!
Hmmmm...Maybe I should try some mochi with ice cream.

LW said...

Yay, i just found these the Kukje yesterday. Got addicted at froyo places and wanted them and not the froyo! still only $2.99!