TrendWatch: ChapSsal Ddeok Ice Cream (or Mochi Ice Cream)

Posted by ZenKimchi in Featured, Food Porn, Food Trend, Junk Food & Treats | 1 comment

I have seen this pop up in a few places this month, and the cafes are popular. In Japan, it’s called Mochi Ice Cream. Okay, in Korea, it’s called Mochi Ice Cream, too. But I figure if the Japanese can repackage Korean food with their names (did you know that they recently patented the word “Makkoli” so now Koreans can’t sell it under that name) I’m going to call this ChapSsal Ddeok Ice Cream, which is what it is.

And it’s as tasty as it is pretty. A very soft layer of chewy rice cake surrounds a noggin of ice cream. May be ice milk, actually. And it comes in a great assortment of flavors. EJ and I tried the apple pie and caramel macchiato flavors. We made noises and faces that would not be appropriate in a Victorian setting.

They’re around W2,000 a pop. A little pricey, but you really need just one. Or two. And they’re highly perishable. You have to eat them the same day.

Caramel Macchiato

Apple Pie

These little morsels were born in Japan by the Lotte Corporation–which is really owned by a Korean-Japanese family. So it’s sort of Korean, really. There’s a great cafe in the Japanese district of Ichon (Ichon Station, exit 4, cross the street and turn left). It’s the headquarters for what I think will become the next Roti Bun.

Anyone else try these? What’s a really good flavor?

Joe McPherson is the founding editor of ZenKimchi. He is also dining editor for 10 Magazine and writes and consults for multiple publications. He is the only non-Korean judge for the Korean section of the Miele Guide--but don't ever call him a food critic.

ZenKimchi

View all posts by ZenKimchi
Joes website

Incoming search terms:

• mochi ice cream
• mochi korean
• best korean ice cream
• korean mochi ice cream
• ice cream Mochi
• mochi korea
• mochi ice cream korea
• icecream korea
• mochi ice cream cake
• korean mochi