Kakigōri

The origins of kakigōri date back the Heian period in Japanese history, when blocks of ice saved during the colder months would be shaved and served with sweet syrup to Japanese aristocracy during the summer.[2] Kakigōri's origin is referred to in The Pillow Book, a book of observations written by Sei Shōnagon, who served the Imperial Court during the Heian period.[3][4] Kakigōri became more accessible in the 19th century, when ice became more widely available to the public during the summertime.[5] The first kakigōri store is believed to have opened in Yokohama in 1869.[6]

July 25th is known as kakigōri day in Japan because of its pronunciation sounding similar to summer ice in Japanese.[7] Another reasoning for July 25th being kakigōri day is because, on that day in 1933, there was a record high temperature in Japan.[8]

The traditional way of making kakigōri uses a hand cranked machine to spin a block of ice over a shaving blade.[9][5] Even though electric shavers are most often used, street vendors can still be seen hand-shaving ice blocks in the summer.

Rather than flavored ice, Kakigōri is traditionally made of pure ice, in many cases, being a frozen block of mineral water. The ice used is often taken from natural springs, afterward being tempered to achieve an ideal quality for shaving.[10][11] Prior to refrigeration, mountain caves or ice houses would be the traditional way of storing kakigōri ice.[5]

It is similar to a snow cone but with some notable differences: It has a much smoother fluffier ice consistency, much like fresh fallen snow, and a spoon is almost always used to eat it. The texture of the ice distinguishes kakigōri from other types of shaved ice desserts. Due to this textural difference, it has also been seen translated as 'Angel Snow', which perhaps sounds more appealing. [9]

Popular flavors include strawberry, cherry, lemon, green tea, grape, melon, "Blue Hawaii", sweet plum, and colorless syrup. Some shops provide colorful varieties by using two or more syrups. To sweeten kakigōri, condensed or evaporated milk is often poured on top of it.

Kakigōri banner

In addition to street stalls, kakigōri is sold in festivals, convenience stores, coffee shops, specialized kakigōri parlors, and restaurants. It's also frequently prepared by families at home.[12] During the hot summer months, kakigōri is sold virtually everywhere in Japan. Especially at summer festivals and fairs such as matsuri and bon odori festivals, often served alongside other street foods such as yakisoba, takoyaki and cotton candy.[13] Kakigōri is one of the summer features in Japan. Some shops serve it with ice cream and sweetened red beans or tapioca pearls.

A flag with the kanji sign for ice kōri (氷) is a common and traditional way for an establishment to indicate that they are serving kakigōri.[14]

Shirokuma

Type	Kakigōri
Course	Dessert
Place of origin	Japan
Region or state	Kagoshima prefecture
Main ingredients	Ice, condensed milk
Cookbook: Shirokuma   Media: Shirokuma

Shirokuma (白熊 or しろくま) is a type of kakigōri, a Japanese dessert made from shaved ice flavored with condensed milk, small colorful mochi, fruits, and sweet bean paste (usually Azuki bean). Mandarin oranges, cherries, pineapples, and raisins are often used to make shirokuma.

Ujikintoki

Ujikintoki (宇治金時 or うじきんとき) is a type of Kakigōri that is made from shaved ice, flavored green tea syrup, sweet bean paste (Azuki bean), mochi, and green tea ice cream (抹茶アイスクリーム, Matcha aisu kurīmu).[15][16]

• Kōrikoppu: The dedicated glassware which was mainly used for Kakigōri before World War II. (ja)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shirokuma.

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