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Ice Desserts Around the World

Published in Gourmet Live 08.22.12
Snow cone, granita, granizada, raspao—no matter what you call it, shave ice is a ubiquitous sweet reinvented on nearly every corner of the Earth

By Kelly Senyei
From the streets of India to the hillside paths of Guatemala, shave ice takes on new life—and new garnishes—as a universal delight in the world's frozen-dessert scene. Take a visual tour of a few of our icy favorites and discover how the story of a country's cuisine is often told through the toppings.

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Ice Treat: Shave Ice

Country of Origin: USA

Description: Frozen-dessert aficionados can attest to the fact that not all American shave ice is alike. There are snow cones, snoballs, and shave ice, which differ from each other primarily in the texture of the ice. Snow cones are more granular and crunchy in consistency, while snoballs and shave ice are fluffier and smoother. Regardless of how you crush it, though, American shave ice is sweetened with flavored syrups ranging from the classics (cherry, lemon, and orange) to the creative (bubblegum, banana cream, and cotton candy—which are offered at Hawaii's famous Matsumoto Shave Ice). The traditional shave ice shown here is a popular rainbow-inspired mix of flavors: blueberry, lime, lemon, orange, and cherry.

PHOTO: NICOLETTE FRANCIS
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Keywords
snow cone,
ice,
dessert,
Gourmet Live,
Kelly Senyei

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