Hawaiian Shave Ice

Looking for the perfect refreshing treat to cool down on a hot Hawaiian day? Shave ice, which is a lot like a snow cone with a finer, more snow-like consistency, is a delightful flavored ice treat that can be found in road side stands and grocery stores throughout the islands. Sometimes, you’ll even find variations that include a scoop of ice cream at the bottom. Enjoy uniquely tropical flavors like pineapple (my favorite), passionfruit and guava. A popular combination is a rainbow, with three flavors lined up side by side. And because shave ice has a fine consistency, the flavors stay better separated for longer.

Although shave ice is pretty much the same at the variety of stands and gorcers, M. Matsumoto’s Grocery store in Halieiwa, HI has been serving up their shave ice for 60 years. Treat yourself to a Hawaiian shave ice with ice cream.

Another thing to look for at these smoothie/shave ice stands was a forzen pineapple treat I was lucky enough to stumble upon one hot day on the Big Island. The unique treat consisted of a piece of fresh pineapple that had been partially frozen and was then squeezed through some kind of juicer to create a cup of frozen pineapple with a sorbet consistency.