Shaved ice is a large family of ice-based desserts made of fine shavings of ice and sweet condiments or syrups. Usually, the syrup is added after the ice has been frozen and shaved—typically at the point of sale; however, flavoring can also be added before freezing. The dessert is consumed worldwide in various forms and ways. Shaved ice can also be mixed with large quantities of liquid to produce shaved ice drinks. Many shaved ices are confused with " Italian ice", which is derived from the similar Italian dessert known as " granita". However, Italian ice, also known as "water ice", often has the fruit juice or other ingredients, like almond, incorporated into the sugared water before it is frozen. Shaved ice—especially highly commercial shaved ice (such as that found in food chains or from street vendors)—is often flavored after the ice has been frozen and shaved. Snow cones are an example of shaved ice that is flavored after production.

History

The use of stored and gathered ice for use in confections has been documented in ancient Persia since 400 BCE onward. In imperial

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, the dessert was a treat reserved for royalty, as it was made of natural ice formed during the coldest period of winter, which was stored in icehouses. This made it very rare, and a luxury available only to

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

nobles. is believed to be a Filipino indigenized version of the Japanese class of desserts, originating from pre- war Japanese migrants to the Philippines. The earliest versions were composed only of cooked red beans or

mung bean The mung bean or green gram (''Vigna radiata'') is a plant species in the legume family.Brief Introduction of Mung Bean. Vigna Radiata Extract Green Mung Bean Extract Powder Phaseolus aureus Roxb Vigna radiata L R Wilczek. MDidea-Extracts P ...

s in crushed ice with sugar and milk, a dessert known locally as . Over the years, more native ingredients were added, resulting in the development of the modern . Some authors specifically attribute the invention of to the 1920s or 1930s Japanese migrants in the

Quinta Market Quinta Market (; ), also known as Quiapo Market and officially called the Quinta Market and Fishport since 2017, is a ''palengke'' (Marketplaces#Types, public market) on Carlos Palanca (formerly Echague) Street in Quiapo, Manila, Quiapo, Manila, i ...

Quiapo Quiapo may refer to: * Quiapo, Chile, a location in Arauco Province *Quiapo, Manila, a district in the Philippines ** Quiapo Church The Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno (), commonly known as Quiapo Church and canonically ...

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

, due to its proximity to the now defunct Insular Ice Plant, which was the source of the city's ice supply. As Japanese people immigrated to

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

, they brought this tradition with them. Like Persia and Japan, warm areas in Hawaii are close enough to snow-capped mountains that snow can be brought to the warm areas without melting.

Regions

Shaved ice varieties can be found around the globe with

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

being a particularly popular region.

Americas

In Latin America shaved ice desserts have influences from North American cultures. In many of these locations the Spanish name is either , or its variations; ''raspa'', ''raspao'', ''raspadinha'' (' is Spanish for "scrape"; hence ''raspado'' means "scraped", referring to the ice, therefore also meaning ''shaved''), or , ''granizada'', ''granizo'' (from , meaning hail stone).

North America and the Caribbean

* In

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and most of the

contiguous United States The contiguous United States, also known as the U.S. mainland, officially referred to as the conterminous United States, consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the District of Columbia of the United States in central North America. The te ...

, shaved ice, commonly known as " Snow cones" or "Snowballs", consist of crushed or shaved ice topped with sweet fruit flavored syrup. Within the United States, several regional variations are prominent:

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

snowballs include a topping of fruit flavored syrup or a fruit-cream syrup mixture, and

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

snowballs frequently include a fruit flavored syrup and are then topped additionally with marshmallow cream. A Sno-ball is the

variant. It can be served with

syrup In cooking, syrup (less commonly sirup; from ; , beverage, wine and ) is a condiment that is a thick, viscous liquid consisting primarily of a Solution (chemistry), solution of sugar in water, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars but ...

ice cream Ice cream is a frozen dessert typically made from milk or cream that has been flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as Chocolate, cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit, such as strawberries or peaches. Food ...

condensed milk Condensed milk is Milk#Cow, cow's milk from which water has been removed (roughly 60% of it). It is most often found with sugar added, in the form of sweetened condensed milk, to the extent that the terms "condensed milk" and "sweetened condensed m ...

, and a variety of toppings. ** In the

United States Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands, officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and a territory of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located ...

(the American islands of St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, Water Island located in the Caribbean) a similar desert is called "fraco" (pronounced ''fray-co'') -- sometimes spelled "fraico". Havana - Cuba - 2872

* In

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

, as well as in many Cuban neighborhoods in the United States, shaved ice is known as , after the Spanish word for hailstones. In

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

, are often sold in conjunction with other frozen confections in ice cream trucks and stands throughout the city. A classic Cuban flavoring for granizados is anise, made from extracts of the star anise spice. * In the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

and many Dominican neighborhoods, snow cones are called , with being the Spanish word for "cold", or alternately called ''Yun Yun''. * In

, they are known as " Hawaiian shave ice" or just "shave ice", and often resemble East Asian versions of shaved ice, with condensed milk, adzuki beans or mochi balls often added as toppings, while a scoop of vanilla ice cream is common at the bottom of the cone. * In

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, as well as in some Spanish-speaking communities of the

Southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural list of regions of the United States, region of the United States that includes Arizona and New Mexico, along with adjacen ...

, Texas, and California, a finely shaved and syruped ice is called a ''raspa'', or ''raspado''. ''Raspados'' come in a wide range of fruit flavors and classic Mexican flavors, including leche (sweetened milk with cinnamon), picosito (lemon and chili powder), chamoy (fruits and chili sauce, known as chamoyada),

cucumber The cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the family Cucurbitaceae that bears cylindrical to spherical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.guanabana,

guava Guava ( ), also known as the 'guava-pear', is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava '' Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), nativ ...

pistachio The pistachio (, ; ''Pistacia vera'') is a small to medium-sized tree of the Anacardiaceae, cashew family, originating in Iran. The tree produces nut (fruit)#Culinary definition and uses, seeds that are widely consumed as food. In 2022, world ...

, and

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is indigenous to tropical Africa and naturalized in Asia. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this spe ...

. * In most of

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

and many Puerto Rican neighborhoods, they are named ''piragua'', because they are made in

pyramid A pyramid () is a structure whose visible surfaces are triangular in broad outline and converge toward the top, making the appearance roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be of any polygon shape, such as trian ...

shapes and ''agua'' means

water Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...

in Spanish. In western Puerto Rico towns such as Mayagüez, they are called ''raspao''. Most Puerto Rican snow cone vendors use street snow cone carts instead of fixed stands or kiosks. During the summer months in Puerto Rican neighborhoods, especially in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, "piragua" carts are often found on the streets and attract many customers.

US Brands

* Icee: brand-name product * Slurpee: brand name * Slush Puppie: brand name

Central and South America

* In

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

, they are known as s''hikashika'', where the ice is collected from the nearby mountains. * ''Mermelada con hielo'' (ice jam) is a local curiosity widely consumed in Rancagua, central

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

. * In

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

, and

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

, they are called ''Raspados'' or ''Raspaos'' and are also topped with condensed milk and fruit flavors. Granizado Churchill

* In

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

, they are called ''granizados'' or ''copos'' (as in , translates to

snowflake A snowflake is a single ice crystal that is large enough to fall through the Earth's atmosphere as snow.Knight, C.; Knight, N. (1973). Snow crystals. Scientific American, vol. 228, no. 1, pp. 100–107.Hobbs, P.V. 1974. Ice Physics. Oxford: C ...

); in the

Puntarenas Province Puntarenas () is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the western part of the country, covering most of Costa Rica's Pacific Ocean coast, and it is the largest province in Costa Rica. Clockwise from the northwest, it borders on the province ...

when they have

on the top, they are called " churchills". * In

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

, there are three versions. The ones sold at street carts and having ice which has been shaved manually with a handheld tool resembling a wood hand plane are called ''raspados''. The ones sold at street carts, having ice that has been frappéd with a manually actioned rotary machine (some sellers use the handheld shaver, instead) and are topped with condensed milk are called '. The ' sold at stores are usually not topped and their ice is finely frappéd by an electrical machine and, for that reason, they will have more liquid even when just prepared. ''Raspados'' and ''granizados'' sold at streets are much cheaper than ''granizados'' sold at stores. * In

El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...

and other countries of the region, they are known as ''minutas''. * In

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

and

Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...

, they are called ''granizada'' and are topped with condensed milk and fruit. * In

Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...

, they are known as "Crush Ice" or "Snow Cone" and are topped with condensed milk. * In

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

, the confection is known as ''raspadilla'' and is often confused with . It is made with thick ground ice and topped with juices of different flavors that can be combined. The most common flavors are pineapple and strawberry, but it can also be served with berry juice, passion fruit juice, and

purple corn Purple corn () or purple maize is group of flint maize varieties (Flint_corn, Zea mays indurata) originating in South America, descended from a common ancestral variety termed "kʼculli" in Quechuan languages, Quechua. It is most commonly grown i ...

juice (). In some cases, though uncommon, it can be topped with condensed milk or yogurt. It is very popular on the beaches during summertime, and is also sold in the towns and cities from carts scattered throughout streets and avenues. Some vendors grind the ice from a block with a device or spoon with a blade like a razor at one end, others have the ice already ground and stored in a cooler. ''Raspadilla'' is prepared in a cup in front of the customer who then selects the flavor of juice to pour on top. * In

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, they are known as ''raspa-raspa'' or ''raspadinha'' and in some parts of the country as ''Gelo ralado com groselha'' ( redcurrant). Vendors grind the ice from a block with a device or spoon with a blade like a razor at one end. Common flavors, which can be combined, include

strawberry The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown Hybrid (biology), hybrid plant cultivated worldwide for its fruit. The genus ''Fragaria'', the strawberries, is in the rose family, Rosaceae. The fruit ...

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...

, bubblegum,

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...

, mint, passion fruit and Tutti frutti.

Asia

East Asia

In East Asia, shaved ice desserts are not only flavoured with various types of syrup. It is also common to add solid ingredients such as

red bean paste Red bean paste () or red bean jam, also called adzuki bean paste or ''anko'' (a Japanese word), is a paste made of red beans (also called "adzuki beans"), used in East Asian cuisine. The paste is prepared by boiling the beans, then mashing or ...

, jellies, canned fruits, jams, sweetened

, and many other types of sweetened foods to vary the textures of the ice dessert. * According to

The Pillow Book is a book of observations and musings recorded by Sei Shōnagon during her time as court lady to Fujiwara no Teishi, Empress Consort Teishi during the 990s and early 1000s in Heian-period Japan. The book was completed in the year 1002. The wor ...

, in the 11th century, Japan had a dessert, shaved ice with

kudzu Kudzu (), also called Japanese arrowroot or Chinese arrowroot, is a group of climbing, coiling, and trailing deciduous perennial vines native to much of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and some Pacific islands. It is invasive species, invasive in ...

juice. In

, the ice is known as '' kakigōri'' (かき氷; かきごおり) and topped with fruit flavoured or plain syrup. Some shops provide colorful varieties by using two or more different syrups. To sweeten ''Kakigōri'',

is often poured on top of it. During the hot summer months, ''kakigōri'' is sold virtually everywhere in Japan. Some coffee shops serve it with

, dango and

. Convenience stores may also sell it already flavored and packaged similar to ice cream. * According to History of Song, in the 11th century, China had a dessert, 蜜沙氷, that is

ice Ice is water that is frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 ° C, 32 ° F, or 273.15 K. It occurs naturally on Earth, on other planets, in Oort cloud objects, and as interstellar ice. As a naturally oc ...

(氷) with

(沙) with

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...

(蜜). It is not certain that 蜜沙氷 is a shaved ice but in the 11th century, Japan had a shaved ice dessert, so there is a possibility that 蜜沙氷 is a shaved ice. * In

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

, the shaved ices are known as '' bingsu'' (). The variety topped with sweetened red beans is called '' pat-bingsu'', with ''pat'' () meaning "red bean". Toppings may also include fresh fruits and

soybean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed. Soy is a key source o ...

powder. The earliest forms of bingsu existed during the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). The government records show that the officials shared the crushed ices topped with various fruits, which were distributed from the ancient Korean ice storage called seokbinggo (Korean: 석빙고). Many other varieties can be found throughout the country. One variety that has been very popular in Korea since 2014 is snow flower bingsu (). It is made of extremely finely-shaved ice where the texture resembles real snow flakes. Also, rather than using plain ice, milk is added to the ice so that the shaved ice has milky flavor. * In

Taiwanese cuisine Taiwanese cuisine ( or ) is a popular style of food with several variations, including Chinese cuisine, Chinese and that of Taiwanese indigenous peoples, with the earliest cuisines known of being the indigenous ones. With over a hundred years of ...

it is known as '' Tshuah-ping'' (剉冰;

Taiwanese Hokkien Taiwanese Hokkien ( , ), or simply Taiwanese, also known as Taigi ( zh, c=臺語, tl=Tâi-gí), Taiwanese Southern Min ( zh, c=臺灣閩南語, tl=Tâi-uân Bân-lâm-gí), Hoklo and Holo, is a variety of the Hokkien language spoken natively ...

) or " Bàobīng" (刨冰;

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

Pinyin Hanyu Pinyin, or simply pinyin, officially the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet, is the most common romanization system for Standard Chinese. ''Hanyu'' () literally means 'Han Chinese, Han language'—that is, the Chinese language—while ''pinyin' ...

). There are many varieties in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

. Some of them are topped with canned fruits, fruits syrup and condensed milk. Other variations can be found throughout CHION. Originating from

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

in the 7th century, ''Baobing'' is one of the oldest variants of shaved ice treats. It is typically served in large portions with a variety of toppings. In

the dish also has a variation called ''xuehua bing'' (雪花冰), in which the ice is not made out of water but milk.

Southeast Asia

* In

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

, shaved ice known as ''Teuk Kork Chus'' (ទឹកកកឈូស), is usually served during the hot summer days and during Cambodian New Years. Tuk (ទឹក) translate to water, Kak (កក) translates to ice, and Chhous (ឈូស) translates to shaved. This dessert is served with a variety of fillings such as jelly, basil seeds,

jackfruit The jackfruit or ''nangka'' (''Artocarpus heterophyllus'') is a species of tree in the Common fig, fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). The jackfruit is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as in weight, in length, and in d ...

taro Taro (; ''Colocasia esculenta'') is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, stems and Petiole (botany), petioles. Taro corms are a ...

, red beans, and more. After the filling the shaved iced is then filled to the top, then customers can choose a choice of different colored syrups usually in green, red, or blue; and condensed milk will lastly layer the top of the shaved ice. * In

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

and

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

, it is known as ''

ais kacang ''Ais kacang'' (; Jawi script, Jawi: ), literally meaning "bean ice", also commonly known as ABC (acronym for ''air batu campur'' (), Jawi: اءير باتو چمڤور, meaning "mixed ice"), is a dessert which is common in Malaysia, Singapore ...

'', which consists of shaved ice topped with sweetened syrup of various colours and flavours, condensed and evaporated milk, and sometimes also durian pulp or vanilla ice cream. Beneath the ice sweetened red beans, canned fruit, attap seeds and grass jelly are usually added. Electric ice shavers are often used, though some vendors may use a hand blade to shave the ice in order to produce a rough texture. A variation of this would be

Cendol Cendol is an iced sweet dessert that contains pandan-flavoured green rice flour jelly, coconut milk, and palm sugar syrup. It is popular in the Southeast Asian nations of Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Laos, Vietnam, Thai ...

which is shaved ice with sweet green-coloured glutinous rice noodles drizzled with palm sugar; it is usually accompanied with kidney beans and canned sweetcorn. * In

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

, it is known as '' es campur'', which is similar to the Malaysian/Singaporean ais kacang. * In the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

, it is known as '' halo halo'' which consists of shaved ice topped with sweetened beans and fruits, creme caramel (leche flan),

nata de coco ''Nata de coco'', also marketed as coconut gel, is a chewy, translucent, jelly-like food produced by the fermentation of coconut water, which gels through the production of microbial cellulose by '' Komagataeibacter xylinus''. Originating i ...

and

. Halo-halo is believed to be an indigenized version of the Japanese '' kakigori'' class of desserts, originating from pre- war Japanese migrants into the islands. The earliest versions were composed only of cooked red beans or

s in crushed ice with sugar and milk, a dessert known locally as "''mongo-ya''". Over the years, more native ingredients were added, resulting in the development of the modern ''halo-halo''. Some authors specifically attribute it to the 1920s or 1930s Japanese migrants in the

, due to its proximity to the now defunct Insular Ice Plant, which was the source of the city's ice supply. "Halo-halò" literally means "mix-mix" in Tagalog. Halo-halo nowadays can have various toppings and can be differentiated by various regions in the Philippines. It is also found in mais con yelo. Also in the Philippines Skrumble can be found, where shaved ice is flavored and topped with milk and chocolate syrup. * In

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

, this kind of cold dessert is popularly known as '' namkhaeng sai'' (น้ำแข็งไส). Namkhaeng sai is served with a variety of toppings including red beans, toddy palm seeds, sticky rice, jellies, and preserved fruits, most often coconut. Then red syrup and condensed milk is liberally poured on top of the shaved ice. In other Thai desserts, the mixings are at the bottom and shaved ice is scooped on top. There are between 20 and 30 varieties of mixings that can be eaten. Among them are young coconut that has been soaked in

coconut milk Coconut milk is a plant milk extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of the milky-white liquid are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food ingred ...

, black sticky rice, chestnuts, sweetened taro, red beans, sarim (thin strands of rice flour that is chewy and slippery) and many more. File:Bing guan cau mei.jpg, Taiwanese ''Baobing'' with strawberries and sweetened condensed milk File:Halo halo1.jpg, Filipino ''Halo--halò'' with brightly coloured toppings File:Macha kakigori snow cone.jpg, Japanese ''Kakigōri'' with green tea (matcha) flavoring File:Patbingsu 1.jpg, Korean ''Patbingsu'' with soft-serve ice cream and candied ingredients

South Asia

In South Asia, snow cones are enjoyed as a low-cost summer treat, often shaved by hand. * In

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, known as '' gola'' or ''chuski''; flavored with sugar syrups, fruit flavors, and several other regional flavors like rose, khus, or kala-khatta. It is often topped with condensed milk. A literal translation of "ball of ice" is used in many parts of India: ''Barfacha Gola'' in Marathi, ''Barf ka Gola'' in

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

, and ''Barf no Golo'' in Gujarati. * In

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

, it is often referred to as ''gola ganda'' (), and it is flavored with multiple sugar syrups. fruits, condensed milk, ice cream, nuts, rosewater, and many other toppings. It is a very popular and well known street food. File:Ice Gola.jpg, Gola with black kala-khatta syrup, jelly, cream ]File:Shaven Ice.JPG , A man preparing shaven ice in India File:Ice Gola - The Colorful Flavoured ice sticks.jpg, Shaven ice sold in the streets of India File:Ice-gola.jpg, Crushed Ice with flavored syrups in India

Middle East

* In

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, '' bici bici'' is the most known summer dessert. It is very light. Generally, ices are brought from the

Toros TOROS artillery rocket system (; , lit. "Gunner (artillery), Gunner") is a Turkish rocket artillery multiple rocket launcher system that has been developed in both 230 and 260 mm calibre. The system was developed by TÜBİTAK Defense Industr ...

Mountains to the city center. ''Bici bici'' contains starch, home-made syrup, and optionally banana.

Europe

* In

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, it is known as ''"Shave Ice"'' and has become increasingly popular, especially in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, in recent years. * In

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, a variation is called '' grattachecca'' in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, or Granita in

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

. * In

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, this dessert is called '. * In

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, they are called ''granizado'' and are served as a drink with lemon juice. * In

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

, the term snowball is sometimes used, however it refers to a different treat. The slush is similar, though more for drinking than eating, and both are common in the UK. They are often served in the same places as ice creams.

Drinks

When large quantities of liquids are added to shaved ice, shaved ice drinks are produced * ''Raspado'' – Mexican shaved ice drink * Sâm bổ lượng, South Chinese, and Vietnamese shaved ice drink/soup with jellies and fruits *

, South East Asian drink usually containing shaved ice

References

External links

* {{authority control Ice-based desserts

History

Regions

Americas

North America and the Caribbean

US Brands

Central and South America

Asia

East Asia

Southeast Asia

South Asia

Middle East

Europe

Drinks

See also

References

External links