How-to: Kakigori
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, June 21st, 2011
Happy first day of summer! What better way to celebrate the start of summer than with a sweet icy treat? I’ve already talked about Korean bing soo, so today I will share another icy treat, Japanese “kakigori.” Kakigori is basically shaved ice with sweet flavored syrup. I guess it is pretty similar to the snow cone, but the difference is in the texture. Snow cones use crushed ice while kakigori uses shaved ice. The bad news: I haven’t been able to find any restaurants in Northern Virginia that serve it. The good news: It is extremely simple to make and requires very few ingredients.
First you’ll need kakigori syrup (try looking in your local Hmart, Lotte, or you can buy it online here), an ice shaver (again, you can try looking in your local international market, or there are plenty on Amazon for under $30), and ice (not pictured).
Melon Kakigori Syrup and Ice Shaver (Image: Mai Nguyen/Northern Virginia Magazine)
Just shave the ice and generously pour the syrup on top.
Melon Flavored Shaved Ice! (Image: Mai Nguyen/Northern Virginia Magazine)
Have fun with it, add fruits, different flavors of syrups, or even sweetened condensed milk on top.
Blueberries on top! (Image: Mai Nguyen/Northern Virginia Magazine)
A lot of you might not be inclined to buy an ice shaver, but I think of it as an investment. Not only do I like these better than the snow cones from ice cream trucks (the ice is nearly impenetrable and the syrups always melt to the bottom), but think of all the endless customizable icy treats you can make for many summers to come.
- Mai Nguyen
Tags: dessert, Gut Check, ice, Icy, Japanese, Kakigori, Mai Nguyen, Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia Magazine, Summer, sweets, syrup, TREAT