Every summer, my family and I return to Japan for a month to spend time with my parents and explore the country. But this year, we are doing a staycation, and I must say, I miss Japan dearly. I miss the summer festivals, the street foods, the subway rides, and the fun of eating shaved ice to cool down. To bring the flavor of the Japanese summer home, I’ve made this Ume Shaved Ice (梅シロップのかき氷) and allowed myself to relive my childhood memories.
What is Ume?
Ume (梅) is a Japanese plum, but it’s actually part plum, part apricot. The most popular ume dish is umeboshi (梅干し), or Japanese pickled plums, which are pickled and fermented. They are delicious when served with steamed rice or as filling in onigiri rice balls. When the ume is unripe and green, it’s best to make Umeshu (梅酒) or Japanese Plum Wine. I also make Ume Syrup (梅シロップ) for me and the kids to enjoy Ume Juice, Ume Cider, and this Ume Shaved Ice.
Making Ume Syrup
This shaved ice recipe begins with green, unripe ume plums. Making Ume Syrup is quite easy. Just get a bulk of ume plums and prepare the syrup. I find myself ordering a larger bulk each year as the kids go crazy for Ume Cider, and I want to ensure I have enough for myself! Where to get ume plums? You can read more about it in the Ume Syrup recipe post.
Add-on: Ume Plum Compote
This is optional, but if you made Ume Plum Compote after making Ume Syrup, you can definitely use these compotes to put on top of the shaved ice. My daughter would put five compotes on hers; it makes a cute accent on the shaved ice.
How to Assemble Ume Shaved Ice
Once you have ume Syrup, and possibly ume plum compote, along with a shaved ice machine, all you need to do is assemble them! Follow the instructions on your shaved ice or snow cone machine to create tall, fluffy, and airy shaved ice. Then, spoon the shaved ice into serving bowls, pour the syrup over it, and garnish with ume plum compote (if you have it).
Shaved Ice/Snow Cone Machine
I have this inexpensive ice-shaving machine that I used for the kids when they were young. However, the machine doesn’t churn out the refined ice I wanted, so I turned to my kitchen gadget-loving friend who has this snow cone machine (shaved ice maker). Despite its loud operation (no joke!), it yields nice, fluffy shaved ice. It’s not quite up to par with professional shaved ice shops, but for home use, it’s pretty decent. Since our summers are mostly spent in Japan and San Francisco doesn’t typically have hot summer days, I don’t see the need to invest in an expensive shaving machine. If you live somewhere with hot summers and enjoy shaved ice, I would recommend this one. Just keep in mind, it’s really loud!
Popular Japanese Shaved Ice Flavors
What are your favorite flavors for shaved ice? This article shows the popular syrup flavor ranking for 2020. Ume didn’t make it there, but I think it’s the flavor I’d treasure every year. Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
