So much ice!
Summer is almost coming to a close. According to the weather report, it will drop down to the high 20's next week but that is still hot. Why not cool down with a nice fruit flavored bowl of kakigori? Kakigori or shaved ice, is a Japanese summer delight that can be a lifesaver when it is 35 degrees outside. It is delicious and it cools you down quickly. You will usually find kakigori in food stalls around the beach, around a festival (all canceled this year) some cafes and restaurants and maybe a small mom and pop shop that deals exclusively with kakigori. I found one of these small shops in Ami town recently and decided to give it a try, and boy am I glad I did.
Cute shop you got here.
The name of this great kakigori shop is Tsuchiura Reizou 土浦冷蔵 . The name is Tsuchiura but it is in Ami but on the border of both towns, I think. My wife and I went last Tuesday because we had thrown away our old couch in 30 degree weather (to my American readers, the rest of the world uses Celsius) and we were spent. We wanted to have something to cool us down and google directed me to this kakigori place.
The first thing that surprised me was that this small kakigori place was next to a factory, actually it was in the same lot. My wife explained that the factory had to be an ice making factory. This place most likely has a source of fresh water underground and freezes it in the factory to make ice. We both walked up to the little kakigori place and were ready to order.
The menu
As we looked at the menu, I was surprised by some of the flavors I saw on there. A lot of them sounded delicious. Sorry non-Japanese speakers, the menu is entirely in Japanese, but I can translate it for you. The menu is as follows:
Pineapple with natadekoko (I think this is hard coconut flakes)
Fresh Strawberry
Wasambon (????)
Akai Mizore (Red Sugar Syrup I think)
Uji Green Tea
Three Berry flavor
Yogurt Condensed Milk
Tea with Lemon
Caramel
Honey and Lemon
Black Sugar and Kinako (roasted soy flour)
Mikan (Asian Orange)
Milk
You can add the natadekoko topping for 100 yen. Another thing that surprised me is all the big kakigoris are 700 yen! That's not too shabby for the amount I was about to receive.
Smaller size menu
If you want to have a smaller size kakigori, Tuchiura Reizo's second menu has you covered. The smaller size kakigori flavors are as follows:
Strawberry Coffee
Melon Grape
Lemon Mango
Blue Hawaii Peach
Cola Green Tea
Sugary Syrup Rainbow
And of course, you can add the natadekoko topping for 100 yen. All the smaller kakigoris are 300 yen.
And now we wait.
My wife ordered the Black Sugar and Kinako kakigori and I ordered the Fresh Strawberry kakigori. The inside of the restaurant was pretty full so we decided to eat outside. This place does have a few tables outside the restaurant near the factory. We sat at our patio table, shooed away some ants and waited for our kakigori.
Our theory that the factory was an ice making factory was proven correct when the owner of the place went into the factory and came out with two huge blocks of ice, soon to be our kakigoris. We waited maybe five minutes and then our behemoth kakigoris made their way to our table.
Black Sugar Kinako
The owner of the place had a smile on his face when he brought over my wife's kakigori. It must have been the surprised look on our faces by how huge these kakigoris were. The owner set down my wife's kakigori and all I thought was "this must be the size of my head." We both took a spoon full of the Black Sugar Kinako kakigori and it felt like I was eating a cloud. The ice was so soft and refreshing, it was just the thing we needed for this hot day. The black sugar was perfect and the kinako had that powdery taste that went well with the ice. My wife absolutely loved her kakigori and told me that we were coming back to try the other flavors. Then came my kakigori.
Fresh Strawberry Kakigori
My wife's kakigori was delicious but I have to say that my kakigori was awesome. Strawberry kakigori is usually shaved ice with a strawberry syrup poured on the ice. My kakigori was topped with fresh strawberry jam and it was heaven. The jam was so fresh that I am sure the owner made it while I waited. The jam was thick and delicious with that soft cloud like ice. It was perfect for a hot day. I could probably eat more of these if they weren't the size of an infant.
This place is great and I hope to visit again soon. I talked to the owner of the shop and he told me that his place is open all year round. They even change the menu for winter. He told me during winter time they change the kakigori to this marshmallow kind of kakigori. I can't wait to try that!
If you are still worried about being in a small space because of the current pandemic, this place does take out. I am not sure how that would go, seeing as how the kakigori would probably melt in your car.
So the next time you feel the heat of summer getting you down, drive on over to Tsuchiura Reizou to cool down and have a fantastic kakigori. Who knows, you might see me there, but my face might be covered by the gigantic kakigori in front of me.
Enjoy!
For more infromation on Tsuchiura Reizou, check out their Facebook page:
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