Korean Shaved Ice Recipe
Prep: 16 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Freeze Time: 8 hrs
Total: 8 hrs 16 mins
Servings: 2 to 3 servings
Yield: 2 servings
Almost every Asian culture has their own version of a shaved ice dessert. In Korea, it's called bingsu, which shockingly translates to...shaved ice. Originating from China where ice and fruits were eaten together, it arrived in Korea during the Joseon Dynasty in the late 14th century, where they added red bean paste for sweetness. Then, as a result of foreign influences during the Korean War, more toppings were added like condensed milk, syrups, fresh fruits, rice cakes, jellies, cereal, and soybean flour.
To this day, the most popular version of bingsu is called patbingsu, or red bean shaved ice. The more modernista versions use flavored ice blocks like milk, chocolate, matcha, mango, and coffee.
For my adaptation, I will be freezing cubes of a condensed milk mixture. The dairy and the sugar will allow the ice shavings to be fluffier, softer, and not as crystallized as just straight ice and will be a lot easier to make at home especially if you don't have an ice shaver machine. You can find plenty of options in varying prices on your favorite online marketplace for ice shavers which I do recommend as it will create a better product, but it's not totally necessary.
You can also use a blender or a food processor with the grating attachment. You will also need at least two ice cube trays depending on the size of the cubes. As for the toppings, this recipe includes some of my favorites, but feel free to choose your own adventure!
“What a delightfully refreshing mid-day boost! The Korean Shaved Ice is light and not sweet. I used thawed frozen mango because I could not find a fresh one. I processed half of the ice cubes at a time to be able to control what was happening in my food processor.” —Mary Jo Romano
Ingredients
For the Ice:
4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
For the Toppings:
1/2 cup sweetened red beans, more to taste
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk, more to taste
1 large ripe mango, cubed, more to taste
3 pieces mochi, any flavor, cut into 12 pieces, or 12 gummy candies, more to taste
1/4 cup corn flakes, more to taste
Steps to Make It
Note: While there are multiple steps to this recipe, this Korean shaved ice is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation.
Make the Ice
Gather the ingredients.
Whisk the whole milk and condensed milk together in a large measuring cup or pitcher.
Pour the milk mixture into ice cube trays and freeze until solid, at least 6 hours. Read More…
