Kakigōri 宇治金時

History and Origins

The Japanese tea is the finest tea that represents Japan. In 1191, Master Shireza brought the tea seeds back from his religion, and he planted them in the land of Kyoto City, and grew. During the period of integrity and justice, cultivation was recommended, and tea gardens were opened in Iseshima. And as the custom of coffee becomes more and more widespread, Iseshii will become a first-class product used for gift gifts. I've also got a "Ficture" that's drinking tea plants. In addition, the tea water, which was a showpiece and tea tools, was born and spread to the public. In the middle of the Edo period, a process of healing was established by Haseji Nagai. This is how the fresh sprouts of steamed tea are made to struggle and dry on the furnace. Tea by this process became a reputation for Edo, and it became known throughout the country. In the southern Kyoto Prefecture, the southernmost region of the region is now the home of the northernmost part of China. There are various kinds of Japanese tea. There are such things as "Knut tea," which is grown in the open air, which is steamed, and created in trouble, that covers the shoots and prevents direct sunlight from being grown, and that are grown in a way that avoids direct sunlight, such as a dewdrop, and that keeps the leaves from growing, and that make the leaves in a hurry. Iseshii tea is used not only as the finest tea but also as ice cream, such as jelly and ice cream. The "healing time" that was made of oak ice with a small bucket of tea syrup is the order for the sweets that were made with tea. It's provided in restaurants and coffee shops in the country, including Kyoto City.

When It Is Eaten

It's sold in restaurants such as cafes and restaurants, but it can be eaten in the summer. In a Japanese tea shop in Kyoto, coffee syrup is sold with succulent tea.

How It Is Eaten

I'll eat with a small bucket of ice on a bowl, and a small bucket of ground syrup on a bowl. In restaurants, it's not uncommon to find pafe style in which white balls, ice cream, and decrepit jelly are put on a luxury display.

Recipe — Serves 4

Ingredients

• 5 g(1 tbsp) 宇治抹茶
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 70 ml hot water
• 50 g shiratama rice flour
• 45 ml water
• 800 g ice
• 100 g chunky bean paste (京都大納言小豆等)

Method

1. The sugar and water are heated into molten syrup.
2. Add a little hot syrup in a cup of tea and add a little hot water and make a cup of tea syrup. If there's a trick, I'll rub it with a fine-eyed sweater.
3. Oh, when you get a fever, I'll put it in the fridge and keep it cool.
4. I put a bowl of white balls and add a little water to it.
5. The fabric will be rolled into 12 pieces to be about two centimeters in diameter.
6. I'll boil plenty of water in the pot, boil the white balls for two or three minutes, boil them up, and let them cool the water.
7. I'm going to make four ice creams with a vacuum ice machine.
8. I can put a little honey on it, white balls and peppers on it.

More About Kakigōri

Kakigōri (かき氷) is a Japanese shaved ice dessert flavored with syrup and a sweetener, often condensed milk.

History

The origins of kakigōri date back to the Heian period in Japanese history, when blocks of ice saved during the colder months would be shaved and served with sweet syrup to Japanese aristocracy during the summer. Kakigōri's origin is referred to in The Pillow Book, a book of observations written by Sei Shōnagon, who served the Imperial Court during the Heian period. Kakigōri became more accessible in the 19th century, when ice became more widely available to the public during the summertime. The first kakigōri store is believed to have opened in Yokohama in 1869.

July 25 is known as kakigōri day in Japan because of its pronunciation sounding similar to summer ice in Japanese. Another reasoning for July 25 being kakigōri day is because, on that day in 1933, there was a record high temperature in Japan.

Description

The traditional way of making kakigōri uses a hand cranked machine to spin a block of ice over a shaving blade. Even though electric shavers are most often used, street vendors can still be seen hand-shaving ice blocks in the summer.

Rather than flavored ice, Kakigōri is traditionally made of pure ice, in many cases, being a frozen block of mineral water. The ice used is often taken from natural springs, afterward being tempered to achieve an ideal quality for shaving. Prior to refrigeration, mountain caves or ice houses would be the traditional way of storing kakigōri ice.

It is similar to a snow cone but with some notable differences: It has a much smoother fluffier ice consistency, much like fresh fallen snow, and a spoon is almost always used to eat it. The texture of the ice distinguishes kakigōri from other types of shaved ice desserts. Due to this textural difference, it has also been seen translated as 'Angel Snow'.

Popular flavors include strawberry, cherry, lemon, green tea, grape, melon, "Blue Hawaii", sweet plum, and colorless syrup. Some shops provide colorful varieties by using two or more syrups. To sweeten kakigōri, condensed or evaporated milk is often poured on top of it.

In addition to street stalls, kakigōri is sold in festivals, convenience stores, coffee shops, specialized kakigōri parlors, and restaurants. It's also frequently prepared by families at home. During the hot summer months, kakigōri is sold virtually everywhere in Japan. Especially at summer festivals and fairs such as matsuri and bon odori festivals, often served alongside other street foods such as yakisoba, takoyaki and cotton candy. Kakigōri is one of the summer features in Japan. Some shops serve it with ice cream and sweetened red beans or tapioca pearls.

A flag with the kanji sign for ice kōri (氷) is a common and traditional way for an establishment to indicate that they are serving kakigōri.

Shirokuma

Shirokuma (白熊 or しろくま), is a type of kakigōri. Shirokuma is made with shaved ice flavored with condensed milk, small colorful mochi, fruits, and sweet bean paste (usually Azuki bean). Mandarin oranges, cherries, pineapples, and raisins are often used to make shirokuma.

Description

Shirokuma has been popular in Kagoshima since the middle of the Edo period and is well known to many Japanese. Condensed milk, fruit, and sweet bean paste are served over shaved ice. It is eaten in cafés and in some department stores, such as Yamakataya (山形屋) or Mujaki.

Etymology

Shirokuma literally means "white bear" and indicates "polar bear" in Japanese. There are some views about the origin of the name.

In one account, there was a cotton shop in Kagoshima city. The shop started to sell kakigōri as its side-business. The kakigōri was flavored with condensed milk. When the owner was thinking of a name for it, he noticed the picture of a polar bear was printed on the labels of the condensed milk's can.

Another account is that Mujaki, a coffee shop in Kagoshima City, started to sell the kakigōri, put milk syrup, sanshoku-kanten (colorful agar), yōkan (soft azuki-bean jelly), sweet beans and fruits in a pattern that resembled a polar bear when seen from overhead, so it was named shirokuma.

Yet others say that it was created in honour of the memory of Saigo Takamori after his battle with the Edo Shogun.

In Kagoshima, some similar named kakigōri are made. Kurokuma flavored with dark brown unrefined sugar syrup, coffee or caramel syrup and kiguma flavored with mango pulp syrup are made in some coffee shops.

Availability

Supermarkets in southern Kyushu, especially in Kagoshima City, Kagoshima, and mom-and-pop candy stores sell shirokuma as a popular product. Shirokuma are often eaten at Kagoshima fairs which are held in other prefectures. Shirokuma in cups are sold at convenience stores all over Japan. One of the brands found in stores, Marunaga Seika, received the Long Seller Award for their continuing work in enriching the Shirokuma distribution. The brand launched their Shirokuma product in 1972.

Ujikintoki

Ujikintoki (宇治金時 or うじきんとき) is a type of Kakigōri that is made from shaved ice, flavored green tea syrup, sweet bean paste (Azuki bean), mochi, and green tea ice cream (抹茶アイスクリーム, Matcha aisu kurīmu).

Etymology

Ujikintoki is named after the small city of Uji, in Kyoto Prefecture, famous for its green tea and Sakata Kintoki, who is known as Kintarō in Japanese folklore. Kintoki is the red bean paste that is named after Kintarō's face usually being depicted as red.

Other varieties

Yakigori

Yakigori (焼き氷) is a type of Kakigōri where liquor, often brandy is poured on top and then lit on fire. Yakigori occasionally has caramel sauce, ice cream, strawberries, or pineapple on top.

Text adapted from the English Wikipedia article Kakigōri by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Dish data: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), “Uchi no Kyodo Ryori” (Our Regional Cuisines) database, used under the Public Data License (PDL1.0); translated and adapted from the Japanese original.