Japanese
Gluten freeKakigori
Shaved ice
Kakigori (かき氷): fluffy shaved ice with strawberry syrup, matcha or condensed milk
Kakigori is Japan's great summer cooler, sold under a flag printed with the character 氷 (ice) at festival stalls and seaside huts and turned into an art in Tokyo dessert cafés, where queues form in July and August. Ice is shaved into soft, snow-like flakes that melt on the tongue, then soaked in fruit syrup, matcha syrup or sweetened condensed milk. Contains dairy if you use condensed milk. The common mistake is using ice straight from the freezer: very cold ice shatters into crunchy shards, so let the block soften for 10 minutes first. Chef's tip: build it in two layers, pouring syrup over the half-full bowl and then again on top, so it is flavoured all the way through.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 2
- Per serving
- 180 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb ice blockfrozen in a tub, or a shaved-ice machine's ice
For the strawberry syrup
- 5 ½ oz strawberrieshulled
- 2 ⅛ oz sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
For the matcha syrup (optional)
To finish
- 3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk (optional)
Tick what you have; the rest goes in the basket.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Blend 5 ½ oz strawberries, 2 ⅛ oz sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice, then simmer for 4–5 minutes until slightly syrupy. Cool and chill.
5 minStep 3: Leave 1 ⅛ lb ice block at room temperature for 10 minutes, until the surface looks wet.
Step 4: Shave the ice with a shaved-ice machine, or grate on the fine side of a box grater, into chilled bowls until half full. Pour over some syrup, then shave a tall, loose mound on top.
Step 5: Pour over the rest of the syrup and drizzle with 3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk. Serve immediately.
KrazyBadal
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Perfect for:Summer coolers