If you didn’t know, I love Hawai’i. But, instead of a haole girl like me explaining the origins of shave ice, I’ll let the experts go for it.
Onolicious Hawai’i (a local way of saying super delicious) highlights all the variations from a local perspective.
“In Hawaii, we call it Shave Ice. If you say, Shaved Ice everyone will just know that you don’t know. 😉 The only other acceptable name option is Ice Shave, which is what they call it on the Big Island. But on all other islands, it’s Shave Ice.”
–> Read the full article: Onolicious Hawaii – Places to Eat in Hawaii – The Ultimate Hawaii Shave Ice Guide
Hawaiian Airlines has one of the best historical views from the perspective of the islands.
“Shave ice joints like Matsumoto’s have the art of crafting the perfect shave ice down to a science. Unlike snow cones on the continental U.S., shave ice is made with finely shaved, not crushed, ice. This results in a powdery, fine consistency, like freshly fallen snow.”
–> Read the full article: Hawaiian Airlines – Hawaii Stories – The Colorful History of Shave Ice
Eater Magazine has the best article describing ALL the variations of the shaved ice desserts across the globe and what makes them different.
“The frozen dessert — in which blocks of ice are shaved into snow-like mounds; thin, feather-like shards; or curly swirls — is particularly popular in Asian countries, where it can be found in different forms. It’s also popular in other parts of the globe, including but not limited to Mexico, South America, the Middle East, and of course, the United States.”
–> Read the full article: Eater Magazine – Eater Explains – Shave Ice, Explained
At Chilljoy, we love and respect the Hawaiian culture most especially the Hawaiian pidgin language which is likely a reason shave ice never materialized to the phrase shaved ice as it did on the mainland. Chilljoy is a safe place to be yourself and so we absolutely LOVE when locals break out their pidgin vernacular with us. It brings back wonderful memories living on North Shore and making friends with locals.
“Brok da mout, brah!”
Yelper – Richard P.
Visiting the islands should always include shave ice. Here are a few of our favorites:
