SHAVE ICE SUNDAY

It has become a tradition on Sunday afternoons for my husband and I to visit our favorite shave ice stand in Kihei. Local Boys South isn't glamerous but it serves up the best (in my opinion) shave ice in the Kihei area.

Most people are now familiar with this wonderful dessert because President Obama always stops into his favorite shave ice stand on Oahu when he visits Hawai'i during the Christmas holidays.

Shave ice has its roots in Japanese tradition and was actually brought to Hawai'i by Japanese workers when they immigrated to Maui. Many people think of it like a snow cone; but, the difference is clearly in it's name. The ice is thinly shaved, not crushed as in a snow cone. This allows the syrup to be absorbed by the shave ice, while it tends to run off crushed ice. Because the syrup is absorbed, shave ice is not served with a straw.

Starting with vanilla ice cream on the bottom, the ice is carefully shaved and molding on top. Syrup flavorings are added and then sweet cream is poured over the top. My favorite is the Volcano--French Vanilla, Cherry and Root beer. There are over 40 different choices of flavors--many of them which you would associate with Hawai'i--like mango, pineapple and coconut. Whatever combination you can dream up, they can create it!

What could be better on a warm, sunny Sunday afternoon? Local Boys South is located at 1941 South Kihei Road in the Kihei Kalama Village in Kihei. And if you are in Lahaina, they have another location--Local Boys West--at 624 Front Street.