grow try out even more tonic when you use this trick .
BHG / Nelly Cuanalo
From butter boards and baked oats togirl dinnerandrat snacks , TikTok has kicked off a bounty of buzzy food for thought trend over the eld . Some leave us scratching our headspring ( please don’twash your sliced cheese ! ) . Others have us sprint to the kitchen to hear out ( like these five - starFlat Croissants ) .

Credit:BHG/Nelly Cuanalo
Since not every viral solid food style is the most reliable , we be given to expect until they get our Test Kitchen ’s approval . To do so , a formula must able to be recreated at home and get a ovolo up from the taste panel — for work as anticipate , flavor , and appearance . One famed recipe that latterly get through the process : fruit - shaved ice — here ’s the finding of fact .
What Is Frozen Fruit Shaved Ice?
frigid fruit shaved chalk went viral after Frankie Gaw ( aka @littlefatboyfrankie ) , recipe developer and the writer ofFirst genesis : Recipes from My Taiwanese - American Home , share it onInstagramandTikTok . Since , other home cooks and chef have been try the proficiency with much more than Charles Edward Berry .
accord to Brekke , the best frozen produce items to shave admit ( but are n’t limited to ):
By “ paring ” the frozen produce using a microplane , Gaw is able to create a delicacy that ’s reminiscent to nam kang sai , a Thai shave - ice rink dessert that ’s served with your choice of topping , like condensed milk , sugarcoat sweet potatoes , taro , or various seeds .
It ’s also a flashback to the shaved ice several Test Kitchen stave members recall enjoying from neighborhood stands at Midwestern summer fairs and festivals . Inside those stall , staff use extra machine to “ shave ” meth into a snow - similar grain , then top each loving cup of ice with a vibrantly - colourize flavored syrup — or a mix of several .
This viral shave ice trend vivify a similar experience , just with oneno - saccharide - addedingredient . Gaw finishes his trim frozen strawberry dessert with a mizzle of condensed Milk River , demolish peanut , and black sesame seeds .
Does This Shaved Ice Food Trend Work? Yes, But Our Test Kitchen Has Notes
To put this technique to the test , Niehaus started with frozenwatermelon sticks . She used a microplane to shave the yield , and the result was “ delectable and fresh , ” reminding her of an Italian ice rink .
Since a microplane shaves the produce so finely , “ the difficult part is grate enough into your bowl before it all melts , " she say . " I urge freezing a honorable amount of yield and grating each part on an individual basis , crown it , then enjoying it the right way aside . "
Gaw toldTASTE , “ I tried other graters , but for me , the beautiful part of a lot of Asiatic shaved ice is that it ’s so fluffy . Using a microplane reach a similar featheriness . It has this really light grain and retains a lot of flavor , so I consider it ’s the proficient mode to go . ”
A microplanecanwork for belittled particular , like berry , cherry , and grapes , but for the best issue with these pint - sized fruits , Brekke recommends using a countertop circular intellectual nourishment grater so that the small items can be placed into the chute instead of attempt to hold them with your fingertip .
“ After our testing , we find that it ’s worth investing in a circular intellectual nourishment grater because it is effective and safer , " she says .
Whether you opt for a microplane or a grater , you may reside ensure that this one - element nutrient hack work with a form of fruits and vegetables . For this understanding , it impressed our Test Kitchen , and Brekke recommends it to home Captain James Cook .
How to Try This Shaved Ice Food Trend at Home
Start by washing your produce . switch off your fruit or vegetable in half or into large pieces for a microplane . Or for a countertop rotary food grater , slice into turgid chunks that will fit through the nutrient chute . Remove the skin , pit , or excess seeds , if needed . On a parchment paper - lined canvas pan , stop dead the fruit and/or vegetables until solid , then use a microplane or food grater to trim the quick-frozen pieces into a bowl . Top as desired .
Frozen produce is very insensate and can be slippery . Use precaution to ward off injury or frostbite on your hand . Try using a paper towel as a roadblock to grip the yield .
You could stick with Gaw ’s Thai - inspired lead and crown your cupful of shaved ice with condensed milk and a sprinkle of testis and semen , or slip one of our Test Kitchen ’s preferred ideas :