I scream, you scream, we all scream for rice cream

A Japanese dessert, Mochilato, has become a hit among customers at Global Village.

DUBAI // The Japanese have shown Emirati sweet-tooths that something has been missing from their ice-cream experience all this time - rice.

Mochilato, a gelato ice-cream lolly in a rice shell, has become a craze among Emiratis since it was brought to the UAE by Fatima Al Obaidli and her business partner.

Ms Al Obaidli admits many customers were hesitant to try the treat when she introduced it at Global Village last November.

"Some people got scared when we told them the outer layer is sticky rice and we had to explain to them that it's not the rice we eat," she says.

Mochi ice cream was invented by the Japanese in the early 1980s. At first, it was an iced-milk sorbet in a shell of rice starch. It was later adapted to feature sorbet in a sticky-rice shell, and most recently an Italian gelato filling.

"When I first tried it I thought the taste was really weird," says Maitha Abdulla, 31, an Emirati. "But I haven't been able to resist buying it again and again.

"It doesn't even look like ice cream. It's also unlike other ice cream because it doesn't give you brain freeze. It's out of this world!"

Ms Abdulla describes herself as a fan of all things Japanese and dreams of one day visiting the nation.

Ms Al Obaidli said many customers share that love of Japan's culture.

"Many of those who watch Japanese cartoons recognised the ice cream and were thrilled they could try it out," she says.

Qais Sedki, the Emirati author of Gold Ring - a graphic novel in the Japanese manga style but written in Arabic - says Japanese culture has a big place in the UAE.

"I've always felt that Emirati and Japanese cultures have a lot of overlap and that people of both nationalities are mutually interested in each other's traditions and heritage," Sedki says.

That mutual interest has led to original manga content in Arabic, and themed restaurants and stores specialising in merchandise from Japanese cartoons opening in the UAE.

Sedki says the "cool factor" of Japanese pop culture is irresistible.

Ms Al Obaidli says it took her almost two years to secure distribution rights and local permission to bring the Japanese ice cream to the UAE, but Dubai Municipality helped her out.

"They gave us all the information about what may stop the product from entering the country, from colours to additives," she says. "For example, one flavour had alcohol so we would not bring that one."

The ice cream is available in 10 flavours and will be available at Global Village for Dh5 until the fairground closes next month.