With summer coming the weather will be getting hotter and hotter. The best way I’ve found in Japan to cool down happens to also be one of my favorite Japanese deserts. I first tried kakigori/shaved ice 2 years ago when I was visiting Japan for a holiday and it quickly became my go-to summer desert.

Since then I’ve been to lots of different cafes and shops that make it and I’ve tried many different flavors. When I first ate it I never imagined there would be so many different sauces and toppings. I started with basic fruit sauces like peach, strawberry and apple but as I’ve discovered more cafes that specialise in shaved ice, I’ve found many more interesting flavors, like the one below, pistachio with fresh berries and mascarpone cheese topping.

In the past I never really liked pistachio as a flavor but when I saw it was the most popular menu item I decided to try it. The combination of pistachio and mascarpone worked very well together and the shaved ice was so fine it almost as soft as a marshmallow.

Another crazy flavor I came across is this caramel pudding with whipped cream and fresh fruit. This is probably the best one I’ve had so far. The shaved ice was soft and didn’t even feel cold when I was eating it and the presentation was definitely instagram-worthy!

I have tried homemade shaved ice and while it was fun to make and I was able to understand the way it’s made, it just wasn’t as good as all the others I’ve had from cafes and restaurants.

I’m always looking for new places to try shaved ice so if you know any cafes worth visiting, please let me know!