• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Speaking Latino

Teach and Learn Real World Spanish

  • Spanish Teachers
    • Free Lesson Plans & Activities
    • Free Cultural Calendar
    • Free Song List
    • Class Guides for Teachers
    • Scaffolded Activities Set
    • Teaching Spanish
    • Professional Development
  • Spanish Slang
    • Slang Dictionaries
    • Word Comparisons
    • Slang by Country
  • Blog
  • Log In
  • Join Now

PIRAGUA: Puerto Rican Spanish Word for Snow Cone


Piragua is the Puerto Rican Spanish word for snow cone. This refreshing pyramid shaped ice treat is popular all year long and I had the opportunity to have one on a recent visit.

For the rest of the Spanish-speaking countries a piragua is a boat similar to a canoe. The word piragua is the result of combining the words pirámide (pyramid) and agua (water).

The Puerto Rican piragua is sold by piragüeros, street vendors with colorful carts covered by an umbrella. It is hand-shaved with an instrument called a cepillo, that literally means “a brush.” The shaved ice is covered with a flavored syrup of your choice, for example: ajonjolí (sesame seed), anís (anise), cereza (cherry), china (orange), coco (coconut), crema (cream), frambuesa (raspberry), fresa (strawberry), limón (lemon), melao (sugar cane), melón (watermelon), parcha (passion fruit), piña (pineapple), tamarindo (tamarind) or uva (grape). You can sip the piragua using a small straw or start eating the ice right away.

Here is a video I took of a piragüero in action!


Mobile viewers: watch this video here: http://youtu.be/lVimKFl2uMM

Spanish words for snow cone in other countries

It is common to find snow cones in many Spanish-speaking countries, but they use different names. Here are some examples:

1. cepillado: Venezula (Zulia and Falcón)

2. chúrchil: Puntarenas, Costa Rica

3. copo: Costa Rica

4. esnorbor: Venezuela (East part)

5. granizado: Spain, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador

6. minuta: El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras

7. nieve: Honduras

8. piragua: Puerto Rico

9. prensado: Ecuador (in the coast)

10. raspadilla: Peru

11. raspado or raspada: Argentina, Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Ecuador

12. raspao: Colombia, Panama, Venezuela (Caracas and The Andes)

13. yun yun or yunyún: Dominican Republic

What’s your favorite snow cone flavor?

Check out these other Puerto Rican Spanish Slang Word articles.

Related

Search Speaking Latino

Navigation

About Us

Contact Us

Blog

Log In

Join the Community

Get your Spanish classes planned for the entire year with Access hundreds of Spanish lesson plans, scaffolded cultural activities, presentations, song activities, and more!

Take a Look

Contact Jared & Diana

Click here to contact us

Search Speaking Latino

Copyright © 2023 Speaking Latino | Privacy Policy | As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.