Ujikintoki Kakigori Japanese Sweet Treat Recipe

Japanese shaved ice is called kakigori. There are a variety of flavors, and a traditional kind is ujikintoki made with shaved ice on the bottom, drizzled with green tea syrup and topped with red bean paste. Other common toppings include shiratama dango (mochi), sweetened condensed milk and green tea ice cream. On a hot and humid summer day, eating shaved ice brings immediate refreshment and cools you down. Ujikintoki is one of the most romantically named desserts. Uji is a city in kyoto prefecture, japan, where cultivation of the premium-grade uji gyokuro green tea has a thousand-year-old history; the tea plants are shaded for a few weeks before harvesting. Uji is home to the unesco-designated world heritage site byodo-in temple, not always included as a destination in a tour of kyoto, but a must-see stop along with other famed ancient shrines, such as kiyomizu-dera temple and kinkaku-ji temple in the region. Kintoki refers to red beans cooked in unprocessed sugar syrup. Sakata kintoki, a folk hero said to have reddish skin and thus often painted red in storybooks, may be the source of the desserts long name. Typical shaved ice you see is made with fruity flavors like strawberry, melon, lemon, or blue hawaii and they can be purchased at the summer festivals and food stalls in japan. However, ujikintoki is usually served only in restaurants or sweet shops during the summer, and its a rather special treat. The following recipe is easy; just make sure you have all the ingredients on hand.