What today is called “Hawaiian Shave Ice” traces its origins to a Japanese style dessert called kakigori. Kakigori arrived in the Hawaiian Islands in the late-1800s with Japanese immigrants who ended up working the sugar and pineapple planatations. To keep cool, workers often used their tools to shave large blocks of ice into the fine and fluffy texture that is foundational to Hawaiian Shave Ice. They then added sugar and/or fruit juices and that became the start of this colorful, warm-weather treat.