Obsessed With Ice: What is Kakigori?

Our guest today is Elizabeth Andoh, who has joined us 12 times previously to share her truly deep insight into traditional Japanese food culture. 

Elizabeth is a food writer and Japanese cooking instructor based in Tokyo, where she has lived for over 50 years. She runs the culinary arts program called A Taste of Culture, which offers a great opportunity for non-Japanese people to explore Japanese culture through its food. 

Elizabeth is also the author of 6 cookbooks, including the award-winning “Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Kitchen” and “Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions.”

Today’s topic is ice. It’s summertime and we all love refreshing cooling sweets. In Japan, ice has been an important part of its food culture. The most famous food would be Kakigori, a type of shaved ice dish with unique flavor and texture. Its aesthetic is another reason Kakigori is so popular. You can go to a specialty shop or Japanese-style café to enjoy Kakigori or you can make one at home as various handy tools are available. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Japanese people started eating ice 12 centuries ago, how they developed the elaborate shaved ice called Kakigori, the unique flavors and texture of Kakigori, how you can make Kakigori at home, other types of ice used in Japanese food culture, such as hand-carved perfect ice used for cocktails and much, much more!!!

Photo courtesy of Robin Scanlon.

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