Shaved ice is called “kakigori” in Japanese. It’s a dessert made by shaving ice and topping it with syrup or fruit sauce, often enjoyed in Japan during the summer.
It might seem like a simple dessert of shaved ice topped with syrup, but the ice is incredibly smooth and melts the moment it touches your tongue. You might think it’s natural for ice to melt, but the smoothness is exceptional. It’s difficult to put into words, but trying it is the best way to understand.
Kakigori is available from street stalls at festivals to specialty shops. While both are good options, as a writer, I recommend the specialty shops. The syrup used for festival kakigori is often made with artificial sweeteners, which some people may not prefer. However, you can usually get it for a low price, around 300 to 500 yen.
Specialty shop kakigori is on another level. They use their own developed syrups, which are more like sauces, such as strawberry sauce or condensed milk sauce. They even have kakigori topped with matcha sauce and sweet red bean paste.
Some varieties include ice cream inside the ice, chocolate sauce, or fruit pulp.
They also pay attention to the ice itself, sourcing it from specialty suppliers and innovating on how it’s shaved. Even with a mountain of shaved ice, it’s fluffy and smooth, melting the moment it touches your tongue. You might think from the photos that it’s a lot to eat, but even women can easily enjoy it.
You can find kakigori all over Japan, although it’s often sold as a “summer exclusive” treat. Japanese summer usually refers to around July to September. If you visit Japan during this time, it’s your chance to try kakigori! However, some shops may only sell it until July or August, so please be aware.
There are also specialty shops that sell kakigori year-round. If you find one, you’re lucky! It’s likely to be a shop that offers incredibly delicious kakigori!