Fluffy, Light, and As Soft As Snow, Japanese Shaved Ice Is Much More Than a Summer Treat

Kakigori might be the best way to end a meal. There are versions of shaved ice from around the world, from piragua in Puerto Rico to Sno-balls in New Orleans, but there’s nothing quite like Japanese kakigori. The mountain of fine, snowlike shaved ice can come in many flavors and forms. It might be capped with ice cream or whipped cream or studded with fresh fruit and chewy condiments like mochi — but no matter the ingredients, it’s always served sky-high and incredibly refreshing.

What is kakigori?

Kakigori is a Japanese dessert made of shaved ice. Traditional versions of kakigori will come from natural spring or mineral water which has been frozen into an ice block then tempered — rested at room temperature until it becomes crystal clear. The block is placed inside a kakigori machine, which spins the ice over a sharp blade, releasing a waterfall of thin icy shards into a bowl. While snowcones, raspados, and piraguas have crunchy, grated ice, the ice in kakigori is fluffy and soft, designed to melt in your mouth like freshly fallen snow.

Kakigori is sweetened with syrup or condensed milk — both of which can be infused with flavors like matcha or strawberry. The ice can be served as is, or covered in toppings for textural versatility. Some of the most common toppings are mochi, red bean, and fresh fruit.

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What is the history of kakigori?

Kakigori first appeared in the historic book, Makura no Sōshi or The Pillow Book, from the year 1002. The author, Sei Shonagon, who was a court lady for an empress, recalled a dessert eaten by the elite — hand-shaved ice flavored with arrowroot vine and served in a metal bowl. Since there was no access to freezers, ice was a luxury item.

By the late 1800s, food merchants began transporting ice from the cold island of Hokkaido to  the port city of Yokohama, which led to the first-ever kakigori shop called Bashamichi. Specialized shaved ice machines entered the market soon after, making kakigori more accessible to the masses as a sweet summer treat.

Where can I buy kakigori?

Kakigori is sold all around Japan at restaurants and dessert shops. While traditional versions with minimal flavors and toppings are still prevalent, kakigori has become a blank canvas for experimentation. Chefs use the simple format to play with creative flavor combinations, seasonal ingredients, and dramatic presentations. This trend has made its way to the United States as well, where Japanese-inspired restaurants are making room for kakigori machines in their kitchen and imported ice cubes in their freezer. Here are three examples from around the country.

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Blueberry and corn kakigori

Chef Ian Driscoll of Bar Futo in Portland, Maine, wanted to add a frozen dessert to his menu, but, without a pastry chef, didn’t have time to make ice cream every day. “So most of the kakigori is made by the whole team, making the syrups, crumbles, and creams,” he says. “It’s pretty standard pastry work that we can execute and it’s just really fun. You can make anything — any flavor profile you want.” Driscoll especially enjoys making kakigori inspired by nostalgic desserts, like blueberry cobbler. Riffing on the popular Maine combination of blueberries and sweet corn, this seasonal kakigori featured sweet corn shaved ice and wild blueberry compote, finished with an oat crumble for a cobbler-like crunch.

Green tea kakigori

“I grew up eating shaved ice in Japan,” says Manabu Horiuchi, chef of Katami in Houston. “It was my favorite dessert as a child.” Paying homage to that memory, Horiuchi’s green tea kakigori — a staple at the restaurant — is made from Japanese-imported ice with red bean ice cream, white chocolate cream, and condensed milk. “The green tea flavor profile is the perfect match for the buttery shaved ice.”

Strawberry and black sesame kakigori

At Uchiba in Austin, pastry chef Anne Quant makes a kakigori reminiscent of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. “It’s playful and fun in nature, and we were excited to feature it in a way that is hopefully unassuming yet familiar,” she says. Rather than flavoring plain ice, Quant blends fresh strawberries with water, sugar, and lemon, then freezes it into an ice block for shaving. It’s piled over nutty black sesame ice cream and topped with a big dollop of black sesame foam. “It provides a nice, soft, whipped-cream-like texture, mimicking Mt. Fuji with its snow-capped mountain peaks surrounded by clouds,” she says.

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How can I make kakigori at home?

To make it at home, you need a kakigori machine. Doshisha is one of the most popular brands — they have both an electric machine and one you can hand-crank, more similar to what exists in kakigori shops, both for under $100. While the ice texture might be slightly different from the traditional version, any shaved ice machine will help you create a makeshift kakigori. Out of all the ones we’ve tested, our favorite is the Hawaiian Shaved Ice HomePro, which has an adjustable blade that allows you to make the shavings as soft or as firm as you’d like.

Once you’ve got the ice, the rest is up to you. Drizzle it with maple syrup or sweetened condensed milk, top it with whipped cream, and throw in whatever toppings you have in your fridge. Who needs an ice cream sundae bar when you’ve got kakigori?