Shikashika
Encyclopedia
Shikashika is a shaved ice
drink
made from glacier ice in Peru
and Bolivia
. In some rural communities, the extraction and sale of ice
continues to be a primary natural resource
for local economies. Ice merchants extract the blocks with an axe
by hand and transport them down from the mountains atop mules. The unit of sale is usually an ice block weighing approximately 40 kilos which is sold to Shikashika vendors. Each block sells for approximately 17 USD. In turn, Shikashika is sold for approximately 15 cents in plastic bags with colorful sweet syrups at Andean festivals and on market day. The word Shikashika is onomatopeia from the Amerindian language Quechua
. An alternative word for Shikashika in Spanish
is "raspadilla."
reveals the process of making a colorful shave ice. To make it one family must journey into the Andes mountains where they cut enormous blocks of ice with an axe and bare hands. The following day Shikashika is sold at the steps of a cathedral in the valley far below. The film offers a rare and focused glimpse into life and work in the Peruvian highlands.
Shaved ice
Shaved ice is a large family of ice-based dessert made of fine shavings of ice or finely crushed ice topped with sweet condiments or syrups. The dessert is consumed world-wide in various forms and manners. Shaved ice can also mixed with large quantities of liquid to produce shaved ice drinks.Shaved...
drink
Drink
A drink, or beverage, is a liquid which is specifically prepared for human consumption. In addition to fulfilling a basic human need, beverages form part of the culture of human society.-Water:...
made from glacier ice in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. In some rural communities, the extraction and sale of ice
Ice
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
continues to be a primary natural resource
Natural resource
Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
for local economies. Ice merchants extract the blocks with an axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
by hand and transport them down from the mountains atop mules. The unit of sale is usually an ice block weighing approximately 40 kilos which is sold to Shikashika vendors. Each block sells for approximately 17 USD. In turn, Shikashika is sold for approximately 15 cents in plastic bags with colorful sweet syrups at Andean festivals and on market day. The word Shikashika is onomatopeia from the Amerindian language Quechua
Quechua languages
Quechua is a Native South American language family and dialect cluster spoken primarily in the Andes of South America, derived from an original common ancestor language, Proto-Quechua. It is the most widely spoken language family of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, with a total of probably...
. An alternative word for Shikashika in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
is "raspadilla."
Documentary films
In 2008 Huaraz Satyricon Cinema produced a documentary film about a Shikashika business in the Andean Highlands. Filmed in Peru, the documentaryDocumentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
reveals the process of making a colorful shave ice. To make it one family must journey into the Andes mountains where they cut enormous blocks of ice with an axe and bare hands. The following day Shikashika is sold at the steps of a cathedral in the valley far below. The film offers a rare and focused glimpse into life and work in the Peruvian highlands.