“I was shocked how it kept its shape despite having all this syrup.”She compared the texture of perfect kakigori to flower petals — not quite powder and not quite grain — making it distinct from other kinds of shave ice. Stonemill serves a traditional kakigori, ujikintoki, doused with matcha syrup and finished with a touch of sweet red bean paste. Every day, the restaurant’s pastry chef, Mikiko Yui, makes coffee jelly and soft mochi to garnish it. Cha-an Teahouse has been serving ujikintoki and other kinds of kakigori in New York for more than a decade. Kakigori makers often press the ice very gently with their hands, giving it a distinct rounded shape; but if packed too firmly, those soft, feathery crystals can freeze together as hard, wet clumps.

Source: New York Times September 17, 2018 15:45 UTC