Beat The Summer Heat With Shaved Ice Desserts

 

A lot of people look forward to the summer season. In Asia, summer is synonymous to endless hours of beach fun under the caressing heat of the sun. On top of doing a lot of things like surfing, wake boarding, snorkeling, or just simply sunbathing, there is no way you will not fall in love with the season. The only disadvantage is that there are days when it is too hot and that is the best time to have this shaved ice desserts! Let’s take a look at the different variations per country

AIS KACANG OR ICE KACANG (SINGAPORE AND MALAYSIA) – In Singapore and Malaysia, the famous shaved ice dessert is widely referred to as Ais Kacang or Ice Kacang. It comes in the basic and original form of simply sweetened red beans topped with shaved ice. Over the years, Ais Kacang evolved into having an endless list of ingredients combined with chewy jelly and flavored syrup, include the basic red beans, kidney beans, yellow corn, cendol, palm seeds, sticky rice rolled into balls. These ingredients are topped with shaved ice and drizzled with condensed milk, evaporated milk, coconut milk and syrups.

KAKIGORI (JAPAN) – The people of Japan have their own version of a shaved ice dessert. They call their version Kakigori. It is prepared by simply drizzling a serving of roughly shaved ice in a bowl with a variety of flavored syrups. The most common flavors are grape, strawberry, lemon, green tea, cherry, and plum.

Alternative flavors are created when two or more syrup flavors are combined in one bowl. This mixture becomes sweet once condensed milk is poured on top of the ice. Kakigori sells like hotcakes in Japan most especially during summertime.

HALO HALO (PHILIPPINES) – In the Philippines, one of the most common desserts not only during summer but throughout the year is Halo Halo. Halo is a Filipino word which actually means “to mix” in English.

Halo halo is prepared by combining a number of ingredients in a tall tumbler or in a bowl. The common ingredients are sweet beans like red/kidney beans and chick peas, sweetened jackfruit, sweet yam, sweetened banana slices, gelatin of different colors, coconut meat or macapuno, leche flan, rice crispies, etc. The mixture is topped with shaved ice and further sweetened by evaporated milk and sugar. To make it more appetizing, a teaspoon of yam is placed on top of the ice together with a small slice of flan plus a scoop of yam (ube) ice cream. There are also varieties wherein only fresh fruits are added such as shredded coconut meat, sliced melon, nuts, corn, etc.

All of these summertime desserts are guaranteed to satisfy and fill the stomach no matter how one prefers to have it. Savor the flavors of summer to the fullest!