Shave ice facts for kids
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| Type | Frozen dessert |
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| Main ingredients | Ice, syrup, condensed milk (common variant) |
Shave ice is a cool, sweet treat made by shaving a big block of ice. Then, yummy syrup and other sweet things are poured over it. In some parts of Hawai'i, people call it "ice shave." It's different from a snow cone, which uses crushed ice. Shave ice has very thin ice shavings, so the flavored syrups soak all the way through. This makes it taste better from top to bottom! Hawaiian shave ice comes from a similar Japanese dessert called kakigōri.
Shave ice usually comes in a paper or plastic cup. Sweet syrups are poured on top. You can also add extra things like ice cream, azuki beans, or condensed milk. In Hawaii, many syrups use local flavors. These include guava, pineapple, coconut cream, passionfruit, li hing mui (salty dried Chinese plums), lychee, kiwifruit, and mango.
You can find many similar ice desserts around the world, not just in Hawaii!
Contents
History of Shave Ice
How Shave Ice Started in Japan
The idea for Hawaiian shave ice comes from an old Japanese dessert called kakigōri. This treat dates back to Japan's Heian period, which was from the 8th to the 12th century. Back then, only rich people could enjoy kakigōri. This was because making and storing ice was very hard. Ice was only available in winter, and they used natural ways, like ice houses, to keep it cold.
In the early 1900s, during the Meiji period in Japan, new machines made ice much cheaper and easier to store. So, more people could enjoy icy treats. Around the same time, many sugar farms grew in Hawaii. People from Asian countries moved to Hawaii to find work. Japanese immigrants were among them, and they brought their traditional ice dessert, kakigōri, with them.
Shave Ice Comes to Hawaii
In Hawaiian Pidgin, a language spoken in Hawaii, kakigōri became known as shave ice. Japanese immigrants first sold shave ice to farm workers in the early 1900s. By the 1950s, it was a regular item in many Japanese-owned grocery stores.
Ice became very important in Hawaii's history. The United States and the Territory of Hawaii made trade deals that often mentioned ice. Ice showed a person's status and made life more comfortable for people settling on the island. Because of this, ice played a big part in the U.S. taking over Hawaii.
What's in Shave Ice?
Main Ingredients of Shave Ice
At its simplest, shave ice is just thinly shaved ice with syrup on top. It's served in a cup, paper cone, or bowl. Remember, it's different from a snow cone because shave ice uses thin, snow-like ice. This special texture helps the syrups soak in better than with crushed ice.
Some places make their own ice by freezing pure water very slowly for days. They stir it often to keep it clean.
Traditional syrups are made from sugar, flavorings, and colors. They also add a little acid to help keep the syrup fresh. Many syrups use local Hawaiian flavors like banana, pineapple, lilikoi (passionfruit), guava, lychee, kiwifruit, and mango. Other popular flavors include bubble gum, vanilla, lemon-lime, green tea, strawberry, cherry, grape, watermelon, coke, root beer, and fruit punch.
New syrup flavors are always being created. Some unique ones are li hing mui (salty dried Chinese plums), melona, ginger, and pickled mango. These syrups are often very bright. Certain colors traditionally mean specific flavors. For example, blue often means coconut. In the 1950s, people could order syrups by color instead of by name. When many different colors of syrups are mixed, it's called “kalakoa,” which means calico in Hawaiian.
Extra Toppings and Fillings
Extra ingredients placed under the ice are called “unders.” These are added to the cup before the ice is shaved. Common “unders” include sweet red azuki beans, fresh fruits, and ice cream.
Shave ice often has toppings too. These can be mochi balls, li hing mui powder, more fresh fruits, and ice cream. A “snowcap” is when you top your shave ice with sweetened condensed milk. It's a popular creamy addition!
How Shave Ice Is Made
In the past, people made shave ice by hand. On Hawaiian sugar farms, workers used big knives called machetes to shave ice from large blocks. Then, they would pour fruit juice over it.
Today, some still use hand-cranked machines. But most shave ice shops use electric machines that shave ice from blocks or cubes. For block shavers, you need a specific size of ice block. After taking the ice block out of the freezer, you let it sit for about 15 minutes. This lets it melt a little, making the ice flakes firm enough to hold syrup but soft enough to eat easily.
To make shave ice, you place a cup, cone, or bowl under the machine. If you want “unders” like ice cream or azuki beans, you add them first. Then, the ice block goes into the machine on top of sharp blades. Some machines let you adjust the blades. This helps make sure the ice is fluffy, not chunky like a snow cone.
You start the machine with a button or foot pedal. While it shaves, the person making it spins the cup and shapes the ice with one hand. This creates the perfect size and fluffy shape. Once the ice is ready, different kinds of syrups are poured over the top. Some shops even poke holes in the ice with a stick so the syrup reaches the bottom. Finally, toppings like condensed milk and fruit are added for extra flavor.
Famous Shave Ice Shops
Matsumoto Shave Ice
Matsumoto's Shave Ice is one of Hawaii's oldest and most famous shave ice spots. It started as a grocery store in 1951. In 1956, the founders, Mamoru and Helen Matsumoto, bought their first shave ice machine from Japan. Shave ice became more popular in the 1960s when surfers from California started visiting. By the 1990s, their shop was known by people from all over the world.
Today, Matsumoto's has been shown on TV networks like Food Network and the Travel Channel. People sometimes wait over half an hour to get their shave ice. The shop sells more than 1,000 shave ice treats every day!
Waiola Shave Ice
Waiola Shave Ice opened in 1940. It is one of the oldest shave ice shops that is still open today.
Island Snow
Island Snow is well-known because former U.S. President Barack Obama often visits it. The shop even has a special flavor called the “Snowbama” named after him.
Different Kinds of Shave Ice
There are a few different types of shave ice you can find in Hawaii.
Ice Cake
Ice cake used to be popular in the old Hawaiian sugar farm camps. Unlike shave ice, ice cake is served straight from the freezer. The ice cubes for this treat are made from a mix of condensed milk, syrup, and water. They are frozen in aluminum ice cube trays.
Snowbama
Former U.S. President Barack Obama enjoys visiting “Island Snow.” This shop sells things like sunglasses and swim shorts, but it also has shave ice. Based on his favorite flavors, the shop created a special flavor for him called “Snowbama.” It looks like a rainbow and includes lemon, lime, cherry, passionfruit, and guava.
Images for kids
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Hawaiian shave ice machine
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Syrups used for Hawaiian shave ice.
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Shave ice
See also
In Spanish: Granizado hawaiano para niños
