Kakigori

Ingredients

Ice

• 1 litrefiltered water, frozen slowly into a block

Strawberry syrup

• 300 gstrawberries, hulled
• 150 gcaster sugar
• 2 tbspwater
• 1 tsplemon juice

Matcha syrup

• 2 tbspmatcha powder
• 100 gcaster sugar
• 150 mlhot water

To finish

• sweetened condensed milk, to drizzle
• 200 gsweet azuki bean paste
• shiratama rice flour dumplings, if wanted

Equipment

• a hand-cranked or electric ice shaver
• chilled metal bowls

Directions

1. Use filtered water, since anything in the water shows up in the finished ice. Freeze it slowly in a deep container rather than fast in a shallow one.
2. Freeze it for at least twenty-four hours until solid throughout. Ice straight from a domestic freezer is far too cold, at around minus eighteen. Take the block out and leave it at room temperature for ten to fifteen minutes. You want it just below zero, when the surface has begun to look wet.
3. Put the strawberries, sugar and water in a small pan. Heat them gently until the sugar dissolves and the fruit collapses. Simmer it for eight minutes until it thickens slightly. Blend it, then strain it through a sieve to remove the seeds.
4. Stir in the lemon juice and let it cool completely. It should be quite thick, since it thins on contact with the ice. Sift the matcha into a bowl to break up any lumps. Dissolve the sugar in the hot water in a separate jug.
5. Add a little of the sugar syrup to the matcha and whisk it to a smooth paste. Add the rest gradually, whisking, so no lumps form. Let it cool completely before using. Put metal bowls in the freezer for at least thirty minutes. A warm bowl melts the base of the mound immediately.
6. Work in layers rather than shaving one tall pile. Add a spoonful of syrup between each layer of ice. Turn the bowl as you build so it stays roughly even. Work fast, since the shaved ice begins collapsing within a minute. Now finishing, which is done at speed.
7. Pour more syrup over the finished mound so it runs down the sides. Spoon azuki bean paste onto the peak or beside it. Add shiratama dumplings if you have made them. Serve it immediately with a spoon and a straw. It cannot be held for even a few minutes, so build it when people are seated.

Technique

• Temper the ice block at room temperature for ten to fifteen minutes, or it shaves gritty.
• Layer syrup through the mound rather than only pouring it on top.
• Chill the bowls, since a warm bowl melts the base straight away.

Substitutions

• Any fruit syrup in place of strawberry.
• A strong blender pulsed briefly, though the texture is far coarser.

Variations

• Uji kintoki, with matcha syrup and azuki beans.
• Shirokuma, with condensed milk, fruit and beans.
• With a cheese or milk foam poured over, which is a modern style.

History

Heian courtiers ate shaved natural ice with vine syrup; the first shop opened in Yokohama in 1869 once ice could be shipped.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kakigori?

Kakigori is a dessert from Japan: feather-fine shaved ice drenched in syrup, often with condensed milk and beans. Heian courtiers ate shaved natural ice with vine syrup; the first shop opened in Yokohama in 1869 once ice could be shipped.

How long does Kakigori take to make?

Kakigori takes 20 min plus freezing of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes 2 bowls. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Kakigori?

Yes, within limits. Any fruit syrup in place of strawberry. A strong blender pulsed briefly, though the texture is far coarser.

What is the most important thing to get right in Kakigori?

Use filtered water, since anything in the water shows up in the finished ice. Freeze it slowly in a deep container rather than fast in a shallow one.