Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the US and wife of former US President Barack Obama, announced on social media on Tuesday that she will launch a new cooking show for children called Waffles + Mochi.
Waffles + Mochi will stream on Netflix from March 16.
The show, which will feature Michelle Obama alongside two puppets, Waffles and Mochi, will “discover, cook, and eat delicious food from all over the world”, according to the show’s synopsis. Michelle Obama, who plays a supermarket owner, and the puppets will embark on “global ingredient missions, traveling to kitchens, restaurants, farms, and homes all over the world, cooking up recipes with everyday ingredients alongside renowned chefs, home cooks, kids, and celebrities”.
Stating that the show will appeal to both children and adults, and connect cultures around the world, Michelle Obama said, “In many ways, this show is an extension of my work to support children’s health as First Lady—and to be quite honest, I wish a program like this had been around when my girls were young. I also know that this is a difficult time for so many families, and I’m hopeful that this delightful show can bring a bit of light and laughter to homes around the world.”
She said that the show will partner with the non-profit organisation Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) to help families during the Covid-19 pandemic to get ingredients to cook at their homes.
According to a report by the Associated Press, the show will be 20-minute-long episodes and will be produced by Higher Ground Production, which is owned by the Obamas.
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This is not the first time Michelle Obama is employing puppets to talk about food. In 2013, Michelle Obama and American puppet series Sesame Street, PHA, and trade organisation Produce Marketing Association collaborated to promote the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Waffles + Mochi is part of Higher Ground Production’s new content slate. The Obamas’ production company had signed a multiyear production deal with Netflix in 2018 and recently announced six projects which sre in different stages of development. Their first production, the documentary film American Factory, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2019.