What Brand Is Behind Trader Joe's Mochi Ice Cream?

Peruse Trader Joe's aisles, and you'll find mouth-watering items spanning global influences. The retailer stocks abundant private labels sourced worldwide, hence establishing a complex network of item origins. As a result, it's difficult — if not impossible — to crack item manufacturing. Yet customers have noticed a striking resemblance between the mochi ice cream, one of Trader Joe's unique sweet snacks, and a name-brand product.

The item dupe belongs to the brand Bubbies, often spotted at retailers like Whole Foods and Sprouts. Indeed, the parallels intrigue. At Trader Joe's, you can buy the Blood Orange Mochi, which comprises a distinct dark orange rice dough and light pink ice cream interior. Visually, the Bubbie Blood Orange Ice Cream looks exactly the same.

Furthermore, customers have noticed parallels in packing, too. "I still had an almost finished box of Bubbies in my freezer from Whole Foods and bought the TJ's one to try out. When I went to put it in my freezer, I noticed that they were the same size boxes with the same trays," noted a Reddit user. So while there's no official verification of the claim, details support the speculation for this product — although other mochis may come from alternate manufacturers. 

In addition to the Blood Orange Mochi, TJ's sells many other chewy ice cream flavors. There's the fan-favorite Black Sesame Mochi, Strawberry Mochi, as well as now out-of-circulation flavors like Mango Mochi, Ube Mochi, Green Tea Mochi, and more. While Bubbies produces similar flavors for some of the lineup – Green Tea and Ube, for example — not all flavors are replicable, and some, like Strawberry, don't look the same.

Subsequently, it's not definitive that Bubbies produces the retailer's entire lineup. Furthermore, Trader Joe's experiences frequent recalls, with a 2017 case regarding the Chocolate Chocolate Mochi Ice Cream revealing that the Mikawaya brand manufactured this variety. Unlike the easily identifiable major brand behind Trader Joe's pistachios, the mochi lineup likely encompasses several sources.