As you know ice is eaten worldwide, and shaved ice is a kind of symbol of summer in Japan. Today there are even shaved ice shops in towns, and shaved ice is getting more and more popular.
Generally, shaved ice used to be more like crunchy and rough granular. However, the latest ones are fluffier and finely granular like “iced mango” in Taiwan.
We would like to show you an ice shaving machine named “Black Swan” manufactured by Ikenaga Iron Works Co., Ltd., which can make fluffy shaved ice at home.
The product we used:
What is shaved ice?
Shaved ice is a sweet which is made of shaved ice and syrup. There are a variety of syrup flavor (strawberry, blue Hawaii, matcha, red bean paste, etc.) as well as toppings (fruits, ice cream, condensed milk, etc.). Syrup and toppings are selling points for each shop, so they work on developing their own syrup or new menu with special fruits.
Big fans of shaved ice even pursue the best texture, flavor, and temperature or blade thickness to shave ice. These days ice shaving machines sold in Japan have high functionality.
How to Use Black Swan
Black Swan is a manual ice shaving machine in which you put block of ice and turn the wheel on the top. Then the blade inside shaves ice. Made of cast iron, it’s heavy and features retro design. You can make block of ice with the attached ice tray by pouring water in it and put it in a freezer. The ice tray can make ice for 2 servings.
Tips to Make Shaved Ice Tasty
What is tasty ice? First of all, it shouldn’t quickly melt in room temperature. If the ice melts in a machine, it will end up being watery when shaved. Making non-melting ice is a must for making tasty shaved ice.
However, the ice also should gently melt when eaten; if not, it may cause headache or discomfort. So, this is another condition for making tasty shaved ice.
First, to make non-melting ice, it is good to make ice from hot water.
By pouring hot water in an ice tray and freezing it, you can make ice containing less air, which is unlikely to melt in room temperature.
Next, to make shaved ice which gently melts when eaten, it is important to take ice out of freezer just before shaving it and leave it until its temperature rises up to room temperature.
Ice is whitey right after taken out of freezer, and it will gradually get transparent in 5 to 10 minutes. Shave ice in this condition, and it will gently melt when eaten.
Put an Ice Block in Black Swan
First of all, be careful not to touch the ice shaving blade, which is very sharp.
Put the ice block right under the handle.
Pull up the handle and set the ice under the handle. Then put down the handle and insert the eight needles in the ice.
Once the ice block is set, turn the handle, and the ice is shaved into fluffy granules. Of course, don’t forget to put a bowl where the ice comes out. Glass bowls are recommended to put shaved ice as they give cool sensation.
Also, turn the bowl while shaving ice, so that the ice will accumulate in good shape. When you put syrup on the top, it’s done! This is a modern Japanese shaved ice. Fruit toppings will make it fancy and more delicious. That would be good for new seasonal menu at restaurants. It provides not only good cost performance but also sensation of coolness.
In summer, ice shaving machines must be very helpful especially for those who live in areas with high temperatures!
