Pop Japan

Every country has their own version of shaved ice. South Korea has the bingsu, Hawaii has shaved ice, the Philippines' has ice scrambol. Japan's response to that is kakigōri.

Like all shaved ice desserts, it is flavored with syrup and a sweetener. What sets this apart from others though is its snow-like consistency that melts in your mouth. In fact, in the ancient times, kakigori was literally made from the ice peaks formed during winter, and was reserved specifically for Japanese royalty. Today, since ice is much cheaper, kakigōri is sold virtually everywhere in Japan especially during the summer season. There are flavors of all kinds and colors: strawberry, cherry, lemon, green tea, grape, melon, "Blue Hawaii," sweet plum, and colorless syrup.

Photo by Chris 73. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Tags: food, Kakig?ri, Japanese shaved ice, dessert, summer season, bingsu, south korea, hawaii, philippines, ice scrambol, sweetener, blue hawaii