SOMEN (素麺・そうめん)
A thin Japanese wheat noodle popular during the warm summer months. I served it chilled with tsuyu - a light, salty dipping sauce - and a topping of shiso and wasabi. Erika Petersdotter lent me her wonderful ceramic bowls.
KAKIGORI (かき氷)
A Japanese dessert which is over 1000 years old, made by sliding an ice block over a metallic blade, creating thin flakes of ice which are then dowsed in syrup. Me and kakigori-expert Rui Tenreiro served a Japanese classic: Ujikintoki (宇治金時). Rui cranked the machine and I was in charge of the toppings: matcha* syrup and condensed milk with adzuki** beans and kinako***
The old-style hand cranked Kakigori machine.
GRATTACHECCA
Francesca Lusuardi served a refreshing street food dessert, originally from Rome. It is prepared by shaving ice manually from a big block, topped with a syrup. At Ice Shop you were welcome to shave your own Grattachecca with two combinations of flavours: citrus syrup with fennel seeds and basil syrup with fresh grape.
* Matcha is a Japanese powdered green tea usually drunk during the tea ceremony, then prepared by whisking the powder with hot water.
** Adzuki is a sweetened red bean.
*** Kinako is a flour made from soy beans, both commonly used in Japanese desserts.
