First off, apologies to all readers for my absence. I have had a lot of changes in the past few months especially with a new job, and house hunting which has shifted and squeezed time and energy that I would spend on Hidden Japan. With the changing of seasons and settling of my schedule, I am committed to returning Hidden Japan to its weekly schedule for everyone!
Even with this talk of changing seasons, it is hard to forget the Japanese Summer. Truly a country of four seasons. This is a polite way of saying that Japan in winter is freezing and sweltering in summer. As such, everyone’s favourite time to visit coincides with the sakura (cherry blossom) spring and momiji (autumn leaves) seasons. However, if you do find yourself in Japan during the coming summers, the relentless availability of Kakigori (shaved ice dessert) offers comfort.
It might seem like a dessert concocted by Oompa Loompas, with its fluffy ice and myriad colours, but I want to share and explore the true nature of this beloved dessert.
Icy beginnings
Given its photogenic nature and frequent use of refrigerant technology, I had always believed Kakigori to be a modern marvel. It would mean this section would be much shorter. Fear not, the story of Kakigori dates back to when human labour could achieve all the same feats that modern technology provides!
It was the Heian Period, about 900AD (at least the first time someone in Japan wrote about the ice dessert). In another episode of royalty is just like us, the Emperor was feeling very hot in the summer. Unlike us, he had the resources of a country. He or his advisors remembered that the mountains were still snow capped even during summer. It was then an obvious plan emerged.
They (generic royal staff) would order ice to be shipped, then scraped into a bowl, mixed with kudzu (arrowroot vine) for flavour, then presented to the Emperor for dining. As this would become a favourite treat, special cold storage units (Himuro) would be constructed to house blocks of ice made in the winter for summer eating purposes.
All sounds a bit extravagant for a society over a millennia ago. It’s a shame as this wasn’t even a new idea on the world stage, late by another thousand years. Rediscovering something the Roman Emperor Nero had ordered in much the same fashion, replete with ice storehouses and shipped mountain ice too.
So my assumption that this was a new dessert was only off by a couple thousand years. Amazing what infinite resources and manpower can allow. If it was in Japan and Rome, the concept of shaved ice must stretch much further.
Where in the world is Kakigori?
It’s obvious that ice being shaved is a more universal topic than other desserts. As such, I don’t want to stray too far into the variants that don’t have a direct lineage from the Japanese Emperor’s frozen block.
For the other shaved ices, I’ll say this. Where there is ice, ice desserts have followed. The variations across cultures must say something about the cultures themselves, be it Mexico, South America, the Middle East, Europe, or the United States. The one consistency is that these concoctions are almost all food for the regular peasant classes and found on street corners and cheap eats, no longer the realm of nobility.
Modern Kakigori
Kakigori descended from the nobility to the common folk in the late 1800’s following industrialisation, which allowed for ice to be easily transported. The popularity of the treat would mean the shaving of the ice would quickly be machine-led. Unlike other industrial processes at the time, people seemed to welcome the availability of easily accessible frozen treats.
The toppings also changed. Gone are the days of a singular option. Arrowroot and maybe a few fruit. These days there are so many kakigori choices it can easily make someone neurotic. I will refrain from listing them all out as the list would instantly be out of date upon publication.
I can suggest the most popular toppings and where to find them. Not only that, but I will also share my personal favourite. Beyond that, be free to try each and every style.
Some notes before we dive in. Kakigori as it is currently constructed is known for its fluffy snow like nature. To make these contraptions, there are now specialist machines used to churn out delicate bowls of ice for the low upfront capital cost of several thousand USD. It beats the alternative of scraping it by hand. Only when the assembled ice formation is ready, will toppings commence.
Toppings
Depending on the type of store you choose, they will present you with various options. From the traditional (but still machine made) to the fantastical. I want to provide recommendations and a breakdown on which shops to go to depending on the style of kakigori.
The classic
Even in the classic category, we have various forms of kakigori. By classic, your local vendor will likely mean whichever style came out during their youth. The options within can include red bean paste, brown sugar, and milk. These are simple flavours that are tried and tested as working well with ice.
A typical summer treat source Toraya Karyo Recommendation: Toraya Karyo Kyoto Ichijo (Kyoto)
If there is one place for a traditional dessert, it is here. The iconic dessert shop sitting right outside the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Feel like an emperor calling out to your liege as they hand carve your zero nutrition but satisfying dessert (disclaimer: the shop might not actually hand carve the ice, but it is tasty!)
The fancy
Recommendation: Azuki to Kouri (Tokyo)
Tokyo might be the global epicenter of outrageous desserts. Azuki to Kouri takes the intimate omakase experience to the art of shaved ice. This includes the tiny shop size with 7 counter seats, reservation only visits, and of course the price point to match. With the seasonal (usually summer) flavours and bespoke ingredients, this is the luxury choice for Tokyoites.
The Shirokuma
Recommendation: Tenmonkan Mujaki (Kagoshima)
This is the closest version to the treat known as ice cream. Shirokuma is a specific type of kakigori that’s become famous in Kagoshima. It involves shaved ice and milk! Hence the cream. Tenmonkan is the one who started this craze, and the one that still has the crowds is the recommendation. The milk and fruit is the speciality dish for good reason, with the freshness being a primary driver beyond the simple pleasure of cold.
The Weird
Recommendation: Kihachi (Tokyo)
You’ll need to be back in Tokyo for this one. Most other cities won’t tolerate the choices to incorporate wild flavours like sea urchin into their frozen dessert. However, Kihachi might be pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the kakigori space, offering not one but four spaghetti kakigori’s. What does that mean?
Basically as it says, Santa Fe shrimp and avocado; yuzu and tomato tuna tartare; veggie and chicken salad pasta with salmon sauce; and uni (sea urchin) and asparagus carbonara spaghetti.
Yum, frozen shrimp dessert.
The Flaming
Recommendation: cafe Lumiere (Tokyo)
Perhaps a favourite to recreate Katy Perry’s hit song Hot N Cold, this place offers fire to be poured over your frozen ice. Lumiere offers these decadent concoctions with a dousing of it’s on fire! More of an experience piece than anything else, it adds a smoky rum infusion into this dish that’s already gone through so many iterations. It’s the quickest way to adding a show to the already superlative experience of dessert.
Well, there you have it. A perfect guide to enjoying summer and/or any very hot period in Japan. You hardly need anything else when you have shaved ice on every street beckoning you. If you happen to find yourself outside of Japan, subscribe for next week as we tackle the shaved ices of the world.
I'm not a fan of the texture of kakigori; so I am most grateful to the Persians - or whoever it was - that first improved the recipe by adding milk/cream to make the world's most important food group: gelato/ice cream!
Kigachi’s kakigori is insane!