Kakigori topped with strawberry syrup and condensed milk (left); and served with matcha syrup, shiratama dango glutinous rice dumplings and sweetened azuki red beans.

Kakigori shaved ice is a cold, refreshing dessert most evocative of hot Japanese summers, but nowadays it is a year-round treat, enjoyed even in the chill of winter. Kakigori in Japan is traditionally made using a manual ice-shaving apparatus, but automatic machines are also used. Kakigori textures range from coarse to fluffy-soft, depending on the pressure of the blades—but arguably the most sought-after shaved ice is fine and feathery, served in a bowl or cup and topped with flavored syrups like strawberry, melon or lemon.

As far back as the eighth century, icehouses called himuro were used to store ice that was cut in the winter for use in summer; in fact, summer ice was so precious, it was presented to the emperor. An essay written some thousand years ago includes a description of sweet amazura syrup, made from Japanese ivy, poured over shaved ice. Ice was a rare commodity in Japan until the late nineteenth century, when ice-making technology became more widespread. Today shaved-ice desserts are not only a common sight at summer festival stalls, they are found in cafés, restaurants, convenience stores and in kakigori specialty shops.