The latest Netflix show, Waffles and Mochi produced by The Obamas, may cater to a young audience, but you (a college student/full grown adult) will absolutely be entertained and engaged throughout each episode. Not to mention the show has a 95% Rotten Tomatoes ranking, and if that doesn’t convince you to watch at least one episode, I don't know what will.
When I first heard Mrs. Obama was going to be producing/starring in a children’s food show for Netflix, I knew it would not disappoint. In each episode, viewers are introduced to a specific ingredient. Throughout each episode, Waffles (an adorable and loveable creature who is a cross between frozen waffles and a yeti) and Mochi (the cutest pink mochi you will ever see in your life and looks very similar to a Trader Joe’s Strawberry Mochi (10/10 highly recommend)) learn and discover more about a specific ingredient.
In the first episode, focusing on tomatoes, I learned so much I thought I would share my thoughts below: (spoilers from the first episode ahead!) The first episode focuses on tomatoes and Waffles and Mochi are tasked with deciding if a tomato belongs in the fruit or vegetable aisle (very debatable). The duo meet Samin Nosrat, the iconic host from the Netflix docu-series and author of the James Beard Award-winning cookbook Salt Fat Acid Heat. Together they assemble a delicious and fresh pasta dish with beautiful cherry tomatoes and lots and lots of cheese (you would be crazy if you didn't put a mound of cheese on your pasta anyways?)
The episode continues and we are introduced to an unexpected musical number which includes a dancing tomato with a Sia wig. After a second glance, the singing tomato is actually Sia. If you would like to witness such greatness please view this masterpiece here.
Waffles and Mochi then venture to a restaurant called Mozzeria. This is a very special restaurant because all of the workers (owners and employees) are deaf. Food is used in some ways as a mode of communication and I love how the producers of the show consciously make an effort to be inclusive of people that are shown on screen and the types of foods/ingredients that are used.
One of the show’s creators, Erika Thormahlen describes, “Waffles and Mochi is a show about a love of food. It's not a love of healthy food. It's a love letter to food in general, foods from all around the globe. There's this healthy side effect when you start cooking at home, and the goal isn't necessarily to eat more vitamins or work your way up the food pyramid. It's simply to be excited to get in the kitchen and cook with your friends and family”.
With 10 episodes in total, Waffles and Mochi learn about more ingredients and travel to different places around the world from Peru to Italy and Japan. They learn how to make miso with a family in Japan and also meet "The Potato Whisperer", Manuel Choqque Bravo, who teaches Waffles and Mochi that there are more than 4,000 varieties of potatoes (who knew!). A few special guests also make appearances including Jack Black, Tan France, Gaten Mazzarato, Common, and Zach Galifianakis to name a few and for you culinary fans out there, José Andrés, Massimo Bottura, Preeti Mistry, Mashama Bailey, Bricia Lopez, Pia Leon, and Michael Twitty teach Waffles and Mochi a thing or two about food.
The only bad thing about this show is that it will leave you hungry. So, I recommend stocking up on your favorite snacks before sitting down to watch!