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Other than BBQ, my summer favorite has got to be shaved ice—a thirst quencher and lovely dessert for the hot summer days. Shaved ice is very popular in Malaysia; called Ice Kacang (in Penang) or simply ABC elsewhere in Malaysia, it’s a popular dessert commonly sold by street vendors. In a hot and humid country like Malaysia, nothing beats the icy cold and pleasant dessert that soothes the throat and cools down the body. Plus, everyone loves the sweet-tasting shaved ice, with numerous toppings such as red beans, creamy sweet corn, grass jelly, attap chee (palm nuts), etc. You can also add ice cream, fruits, peanuts, and/or raisins…
The version I made this afternoon is the most common ones found in Penang. I would have used some palm sugar or gula melaka to flavor the ice kacang but I ran out of it. As a result, I used dark brown sugar instead, and added a little red coloring as ice kacang is always red in color.
Shaved ice has certainly become more popular in the United States now, with Chinese (Taiwanese) dessert shops sprouting all over Chinatown or Asian suburbs. It’s a great alternative to the likes of frozen yogurt, ice cream, or sorbet. Try it out!
(Click Page 2 for the Malaysian Shaved Ice Recipe)
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99 Ranch has a small ice shaver (about $18) that works with normal ice cubes and the ice is quite fine, though not as fine as we get from the ice kacang seller back home.
That’s great to know. $18 is a great price. I used the Ninja blender, it works alright, but too noisy!
Yum! Miss Ice Kachang so much!
Wasn’t brave enough to order it on my visit to M’sia last year. Kept being reminded not to eat uncooked stuff, so there was no chendol nor rojak either :(
You missed out the best stuff. Water in Malaysia is safe, we supply our water to Singapore, so there. ;)
I think it’s fascinating that in Asia we have variations of what is essentially the same thing. The Taiwanese shaved ice actually is pretty good because you really get the flavour of the dessert (especially the shaved solid dessert ice blocks versus just normal ice).
I’ve always been told that M’sia’s water is not safe for drinking right out the tap. Singapore buys the water, purifies it and sells it right back so maybe I need to reconsider what I’ve been told.
Malaysia’s water is safe to drink out of the tap. I think people are just too paranoid. :)
When I was growing up in Johor, it was called ice kachang. I only heard it was called ABC back in 2006 while holidaying in Malaysia.My cousin who is staying in Johor, told me and other cousins who are living overseas ABC stood for Air Batu Campur. Looks like the ‘older’ generation calls it ice kachang while the ‘younger’ generation calls it ABC
Tom, I have always known this as ice kacang, but when I studied in KL, I realized that it’s called ABC, which is kind of strange. LOL.
Its nice that add in a scope of ice-cream, especially durian ice-cream.
Exactly, but there is no durian ice cream here in the US. :(
Very soothing, thanks! Shaved ice seems to be eaten over Asia, and I love the lighter and watery texture than that of ice cream during high hot summer. That’s the great icy dessert Asian climate gave birth :)
Yeah, each country has its own variation. I like the version in Taiwan, it can get pretty creative.
This was my favorite thing to eat in Singapore!
Ice shaved is one of my fave for hot sunny day. In Indonesia, we call this es campur (mixed ice). It contains atap chee, mung beans, cendol (made from glutinous rice), pineapple, young coconut meat, tape (fermented cassava), shredded cantaloupe, and avaocado. Topped with shaved ice, red syrup and chocolate condensed milk.
Since living here, I usually go to halo-halo seller in town. Too many ingredients to make :)
That looks great. I love all shaved ice desserts. I would do anything for one right now.
I must say I’ve always preferred cendol to ice kacang (not really sure why, I suspect it’s the coconut milk haha!), but your ice kacang looks so amazing that I would happily eat it. Lovely photos as always. :)
I did not know it is also known as ABC…I thought ABC means that savory soup with corn and carrot. :P I like my ice-kacang with lots of attap seeds. Hey, I just bought my Ninja blender ( I remembered you recommended it in one of your posts some time back). Good buy for me as I have been making a lot of fruit/veg smoothie. Thanks.
I need the manual so I know how to use it!!! LOL. There is no manual in my box. :(
I just depended on the pictorial instructions on the box. :) …can’t be bothered to read the manual. Hhahaha! I find myself using that same medium-size pod over and over again, for shakes/smoothies. The bigger pod for shakes/smoothies is too big and the other smaller pod (chopper) I have not used it since I still use a knife to chop most of my veggies. Heh heh…But I know all will be useful some day. :D
This is so interesting! I’ve never seen anything like it, but somehow I want a bite (smile). I’m going to click on that grass jelly link…
Love my ice kacang with just the gula melaka and lots of nuts. There is a famous ice kacang stall in the Old Town food court in PJ. Cendol is known as grass jelly?
No. Cendol is green. Grass jelly is the black one.
This has got to be the most adventurous ( in terms of toppings) shaved ice ever. Wow I am only used to shaved ices being drenched in syrups. A condensed milk topping is as adventurous as I get.
I love ABC! I didn’t know they put condensed milk. I think the one I normally have is with evaporated milk.
Yes, you can use evaporated milk, but condensed milk is better.
Ice kaakng is my fav summer treat–I like it more than ice cream (Shh…)..sometimes when we can get the stuff from the Asian market…we add jack fruit, purple yam and flan to it and it’s perfect!
Now I have a craving for this! I can just taste it…sigh…i’ll have to wait until December to be able to eat such things :(
Ice Kacang is just a simple mix of shaved ice, kacang, jagung, lengkong, milk and syrup just like in Ais Kacang lyric(Malaysia kid song)
‘Ais kacang, ais ais kacang
Bila cuaca panas dan rasa dahaga
Singgah di gerai, ais kacang dipinta
Susu dan jagung
Kacang dan lengkong
Air gula berwarna…
Campur semua
Enak rasanya
Kegemaran kita semua’
But when people start to mix it with other ingredients such as, laici, longan, ais cream and many more, then it become ABC(Air Batu Campur-Mixed Ice)which suit it best…However, for older generations, this will always be a Ice Kacang.
AJ – thanks for the lyrics of the wonderful song. I am sure it’s a sweet song. Thanks for your explanation, I never understand the difference between the two, and now I know. :)
simply delicious! and this is very similar with Filipino dessert, we call, Halo-halo. Its just that we put usually put the toppings first on a glass and topped with shaved ice, leche-flan and ice cream.
For a shortcut version of durian ice cream…we only have frozen durian here so I mash the pulp and just add it to the best vanilla ice cream in the grocery store…voila…instant durian ice cream without the fuss! But since the durian is sweet enough, I add it to the light vanilla ice cream…less sugar added!
This looks great! I love how cool and refreshing Asian desserts can be compared to heavier American cakes and frostings. Definitely great for summer.
that looks so, so good. the toppings especially!
Great, I like mine with lots of attap chee, and preferably lots of gula melaka syrup and evaporated milk.
I could use one now.
Damn unpredictable weather in Ipoh lately, Bee.
What about the weather in Ipoh? Hot and rainy?
The best ice kacang in Penang is at Hot & Spicy Cafe, Jalan Air Itam (main road), in front of the old Choon Nam cinema, opposite Public Bank Air Itam branch, just a few doors away from Shell petrol station.
RM2.80 per plate with ice-cream.
*****
Just wanted to say that I love this dessert. I had a couple of times at malaysian restaurants and its yummy. I like how they blend different flavors into one. We have a similar dessert in Indian cuisine which is called Kulfi Falooda whichalso has different ingredients mixed into one.
i came from johor. over there they serve chocolate syrup and ice cream over ice kacang. and salted toasted peanuts to top it off. u might wanna try it, it’s yummy!
ps: looking at ur food blog makes me wish im back home! but thanks for the wonderful recipes! great job! :)