Kakigōri

Ice shaved into ribbons from a slow-frozen block, piled high and syruped in layers.

Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains dairy (condensed milk).

Ingredients

• 1 large block of ice, slow-frozen
• 200 g caster sugar
• 200 ml water
• 300 g strawberries or other fruit
• 4 tablespoons condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method

1. SHAVED INTO RIBBONS, NOT CRUSHED INTO CHIPS. A blade set shallow against a turning block takes off a continuous sheet that falls as fluff. Crushed ice gives hard chips that the syrup runs straight through, and no amount of syrup makes it the same dessert.
2. A SLOW-FROZEN BLOCK, which is the part nobody mentions. Ice frozen hard and fast is full of trapped air and shatters under the blade. Freeze water slowly, or let a block stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before shaving so the surface loses its brittleness.
3. It should shave with a soft continuous sound. A cracking noise means it is too cold -- wait longer.
4. Syrup: sugar and water simmered 5 minutes, then half the fruit blended in and the lemon juice added. Strain if you want it clear. Chill it hard.
5. COLD SYRUP ONTO COLD ICE. Anything approaching room temperature melts a channel straight down the middle.
6. Chill the bowls too.
7. BUILD AND SYRUP IN LAYERS: a third of the ice, a little syrup, another third, more syrup, the last third, syrup on top. Poured only over the summit it never reaches the bottom and the last third is plain ice.
8. Pile it far higher than looks sensible. It settles.
9. Condensed milk drizzled over last, and the remaining fruit.
10. Serve at once, with a flat spoon. There is no making this ahead by even five minutes.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Japan · All recipes