Raspados
Mexican summers begin in June, and the dry months range from October to April. And when we say “summer” and “dry”, in Mexico that means hot, and often humid. If you are out exploring the sights and streets of Mexico during those months, you will want to try a local favorite: Raspados.
Literally translated, Raspados means “scraped”, and that’s what this treat actually is: scrapings (or shavings) of ice. Vendors of Raspados can be found in many places in Mexico, and you are almost sure to find them outside churches on a Sunday. Vendors bring their stalls over to wherever people are prone to gather, and the people mill around them as they shave the blocks of ice and plop the ice into a cup. There would usually be a number of choices of fruits or syrups to top the soothing mound of ice. They even have a stronger syrup called rompope, an eggnog-like concoction made with eggs, milk, and vanilla flavoring.