I found this Shaved Ice truck fairly close but not part of the Kaka’ako Farmers Market. What’s shaved ice? It is a finely shaved or granular ice shaped into a cone with added sweet flavors. It’s common in Hawaii. One of the most famous Hawaiian shaved ice establishments is Matsumoto’s in Haleiwa, on the other side of the island. I featured this picture from nearly twenty years ago from the old Matsumoto’s, long gone. The new Matsumoto’s is modern and clean but not nearly as character-filled.

I like this picture of the truck because of its near symmetry, with three people at each window. We have a similar gesture with outreached arms from both guys. While obviously a fisheye, I envisioned it as a standard street photograph, albeit with more distortion.

The large Japanese population has had a significant influence on Hawaii. I wonder if the Hawaiian shaved ice is a derivative of the Japanese kakigori. There are many similarities. However, the Japanese variety has finer shaved ice and produces a fluffy consistency.

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