Kakigori (Shaved Ice)

Kakigori is Japanese shaved ice served with syrup, especially popular during the summer. The ice is shaved in a way that it has a fluffy powder snow like texture. While kakigori used to be made by hand, it's more common to see people using an electric shaver to prepare the ice. Because the kakigori is cut to a much smoother consistency (similar to fallen snow), the texture is how one would differentiate kakigori from a snow cone. While you can find kakigori at most mom-and-pop candy stores and some restaurants in the summer, kakigori was once an exclusive dessert for the royal family. Kakigori became more common during the 19th century when ice became more available to the public. Kakigori is almost always served with syrup, and he most popular types of syrup are strawberry, lemon, melon, and one called Blue Hawaii. Blue Hawaii's color is meant to represent the blue ocean of Hawaii and has a somewhat tropical flavor. When the Japanese immigrated to Hawaii, they brought kakigori with them and only slightly modified the recipe, by adding a scoop of ice-cream at the bottom. While it may not be the ideal snack during the winter, kakigori is a must on a hot-day while navigating Japan.

Need something to cool off during your summer vacation with Japan Deluxe Tours? Enjoy this refreshing dessert while we explore Kyushu and Shikoku on our fully-guided line of Southern Japan Tours or Grand Tour Packages available Summer and year-round!