Waffles + Mochi
Parents say
Based on 14 reviews
Kids say
Based on 4 reviews
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Waffles + Mochi
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Waffles + Mochi teaches kids about food and cooking with the help of quirky puppets, Michelle Obama, and celebrity guests. It's the first kids show to come out of the Obamas' TV production company, and it builds on Michelle Obama's kids' health advocacy work. There are verbal references to brands (like other Netflix shows and restaurant names), but otherwise this show is appropriate for kids of all ages. The humor is geared more toward grade-school kids (and their grown-ups), but even little kids will enjoy this series -- and learn from it, too.
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What's the Story?
WAFFLES + MOCHI follows the adventures of puppets Waffles (a half-Yeti/half-waffle creature, voiced by Michelle Zamora) and Mochi (an adorable small ball of mochi, voiced by Russ Walko). Waffles and Mochi come from the Land of Frozen Foods, where they eat only ice cubes, and are delighted to try real, fresh foods for the first time. They get a job at a grocery store full of other talking puppets, like Shelfie, the grocery store shelf, and Intercommy, the store loudspeaker. The store also has a produce garden on the roof, where Michelle Obama is the shopkeeper and plays a version of herself. In every episode, they learn about one ingredient, like tomatoes, rice, or pickles. They take a ride in the MagiCart (a shopping cart/go cart/rocket hybrid) and visit places around the world to discover more about how the ingredient grows or how it's cooked. They might visit celebrity chef Samin Nosrat (Salt Fat Acid Heat) in her Oakland tomato garden, or restaurateur Jose Andres in Washington, D.C., to learn how to make gazpacho in the Spanish tradition. The show is also punctuated by music videos based on the ingredient (like an animated tomato-y Sia singing about tomatoes being a fruit). By the end of the episode, Waffles and Mochi have had fun learning about the delicious world of food.
Is It Any Good?
Waffles + Mochi is a fantastic, non-preachy way to get kids excited about healthy food. There's no lecturing about eating healthy foods -- instead, the show makes the food seem appealing to kids by emphasizing how it's delicious to eat and fun to cook. Kids get to learn about how food grows and how to cook it, and they also get to learn about the cultural aspect of food around the world. Kids will love Waffles, a hilarious puppet who knows little about life on Earth and is trying all these new foods for the first time. Mochi is equally lovable as an impossibly cute and small nonverbal sidekick. The world of Waffles + Mochi is whimsical and quirky, with a mix of puppets, live-action scenes, and animation.
Waffles + Mochi is an awesome show for families to watch together. The grown-ups will enjoy the guest appearances by celebrities (and Obama herself), and will also appreciate the subtle adult-oriented humor sprinkled throughout. Adults might even learn a thing or two about food and cooking from the experts, and may be inspired to get in the kitchen and try something new with their kids. The show is probably best suited for elementary school-age kids, but preschoolers will enjoy it and learn from it as well. Waffles + Mochi delivers a lot of yum and a lot of fun to kids of all ages.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the food featured in the show. Would you like to taste any of the ingredients or cook any of the recipes? What groceries would you need to buy to re-create the dish?
Waffles and Mochi are really curious about food, since they're trying it for the first time. Are there any foods you'd like to learn more about, or try?
TV Details
- Premiere date: March 16, 2021
- Cast: Michelle Obama, Michelle Zamora, Russ Walko
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Educational
- Topics: Cooking and Baking, Adventures, Puppets, Science and Nature
- Character Strengths: Curiosity
- TV rating: TV-Y
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: February 28, 2022
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