Growing up in New York City with amazing Italian shaved ice at my fingertips, I thought I had a pretty good understanding of what shaved ice entailed. However, my recent series has proved me very, very wrong. I’ve been exploring 5 different shaved ice recipes from 5 different countries and so far I’ve tasted shaved ice with chewy pudding pieces, chocolate shaved ice, and now a savory shaved ice. Trust me when I say, this Indian shaved ice is a special finale to the series.

Pavithra introduced me to the recipe for Ice Orathi, which I now get to introduce to all of you. She currently lives in the south Indian state of Kerala, where this shaved ice dish originated. In fact, it wasn’t until her family moved to Calicut in Kerala that Pavithra even heard of Ice Orathi and finally got to try it. For Pavitha, it brings back great memories and for me it brings up some unexpected flavors.

Just like so many beautiful shaved ice recipes, Ice Orathi contains shaved ice, sweet syrup, and an array of toppings. The syrup in question here is Sarsaparilla syrup, which is all about licorice and caramel flavors that remind me a lot of root beer. Then the syrupy shaved ice is topped with a smattering of briny ingredients like pickled mangoes, pickled beetroot, and in some cases, beans. And just when you think things couldn’t get any more interesting, Ice Orathi also calls for a sprinkle of Tutti Frutti mix (aka papaya) and a bit of Chana Dal for some crunch.

I know, it all sounds like a lot, but it somehow really works. When everything is tasted together, you get pops of sweet, salty, and even something sour. The Tutti Frutti is slightly chewy, while the pickled ingredients and Chana Dal provide some crispiness. The strongest flavors in this sea of ingredients are shockingly pickles, caramel, and vanilla. And even though that seems like a very unlikely pairing, it’s actually a perfect match.

I never thought I’d say this, but Ice Orathi is a shaved ice recipe made for pickle people. It’s briny and salty, yet sweet and fun. I promise, you’ve never had anything quite like Ice Orathi.