There was an unusual heatwave in the San Francisco Bay Area last week with the temperature soaring above 90ºF almost everyday. The hot weather was the perfect excuse to make one of the summer desserts I love eating in Japan called matcha shaved ice or Ujikintoki (宇治金時). This cooling and refreshing snack has many beloved Japanese flavors and ingredients all combined into one delicious treat. Read on to see how you can make this traditional dessert at home.
What is Ujikintoki?
Ujikintoki is a traditional Japanese shaved ice dessert. It starts with fluffy shavings of snowy ice (Japanese kakigori) on the bottom drizzled with sweet matcha syrup and topped with red bean paste (anko). Other common toppings include shiratama dango (mochi balls), sweetened condensed milk, and green tea ice cream. This dessert is named after the famous Uji City in Kyoto Prefecture. It’s reknown for green tea production and is considered to grow the matcha in all of Japan. On a hot and humid summer day, eating shaved ice brings immediate refreshment and cools you down. Ujikintoki is usually served only in restaurants or sweet shops during the summer. It’s a rather special treat because one Ujikintoki costs about 800–1000 yen (US $8–10) in restaurants and cafes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Quick to make – This is a quick dessert that takes just a few minutes to put together if you have all the ingredients. Cooling effect – It’s a great recipe to make when you need to cool down. Delicious matcha syrup – So flavorful and easy to make.
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Ujikintoki
sugar matcha (green tea powder) hot water ice block – for your shaved ice machine sweet red bean paste (anko) – store-bought or you can make my homemade Anko recipe toppings of your choice – optional; my favorites are Matcha Ice Cream, homemade Shiratama Dango (mochi balls), and sweetened condensed milk
How To Make Ujikintoki
Recipes for Optional Ujikintoki Toppings
You can see my recipes for the recommended toppings I used in this dessert:
Sweet Red Bean Paste (Anko) Matcha Ice Cream (with video) Shiratama Dango (with video)
A Note About My Shaved Ice Machine
When I got back from Japan a while back, I purchased this shaved ice machine after doing a bit of research and reading reviews. This machine won’t make the nice fluffy and snowy shaved ice, but it is inexpensive (compared to commercial models over $200) and easy to operate. You simply insert the ice block, place the top of the machine on and press it down to start shaving ice. The machine only comes with 2 ice molds, so I used plastic cups about the same diameter to freeze additional ice blocks. Each ice block only makes 1 bowl of shaved ice. For us, since we can’t find any restaurants or places to purchase Ujikintoki, making them at home was the only option. And it was a smart option as our family loves it and we’ve been enjoying it almost every day at home.
Other Summer Desserts You’ll Love
Anmitsu Mochi Ice Cream Mizu Yokan Coffee Jelly Yuzu Sorbet Fruit Jelly Japanese Fruit Parfait
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