JAPAN TODAY


 

TOKYO - While every restaurant that calls itself a sushi specialist will have plenty of raw seafood on the menu, technically the word sushi actually refers to the vinegared rice that the other ingredients are placed on or inside. That’s why even though they contain no seafood, tamago nigirizushi (fried egg on sushi rice) and kappamaki (sushi rolls with cucumber at the center) also qualify as sushi.

But now Kurazushi, one of Japan’s biggest revolving sushi chains, is taking sushi essentials to an even more unexpected form, with what could be called sushi shaved ice, which just went on sale May 12.

Technically, the frozen treat is called the Shari Soda Shaved Ice, whith shari being another word to refer to the rice used for the morsels served at sushi restaurants. A follow-up to the liquid Shari Soda that
Kurazushi introduced last summer, the Shari Soda Shaved Ice s syrup is made with a malted rice base (much like the sweet non-alcoholic beverage amazake) to which rice vinegar is added. The restaurant claims the result mixes a gentle sweetness with a refreshing touch of tartness.

Considering how refreshing cold sushi rice can be on a hot summer’s day, Kurazushi might be on to something here. The Shari Soda Shaved Ice will be available until September 14. It’s priced at just 230 yen, so it won’t cost you very much to confirm if the idea is just crazy enough to work.

Oh, and if you think it’s just crazy, Kurazushi also has more mundane strawberry, green tea, and mango shaved ice too.