ICE KACANG
Ice Kacang (or Kachang) is a Malay dessert also known as Ais Kacang and the name literally means red beans ice, in the past it consisted only of shaved ice and red beans. Innovation prompted new ingredients to be added together with a better presentation.
The first ice-cold dessert introduced (way back long ago) in Singapore was ice balls, finely grated ice packed into a ball and topped with a type of coloured sugar coated syrup, typically eaten by using just the fingers or hands. The ice ball was a common sight in the 1950s and 1960s and was sold by the roadside and street corners, usually by pushcart drink vendors . The ice kachang is a modern, more elaborate update of the ice ball--comprising jelly, red beans , sweet corn and attap chee (palm seeds) as its base, and topped off with a mound of shaved ice, psychedelically coloured syrups and condensed milk; and it’s served in either a bowl or a tall glass. Today, ice kachang even comes with fruit cocktail, aloe vera jelly and novelty toppings such as chocolate and durian . This is a fun and colourful dessert - if served in a bowl, it usually comes mound-shaped, and all these lovely ingredients are tucked under the ice shavings so there’s quite a bit of fun to be had by digging your way to the “goodies” .
When served, you will see a huge mount of shaved ice moulded onto a bowl , the ice is packed solid and has at least three different colours from having several flavoured sugar syrups and a generous dose of evaporated milk drizzled over it. Dig in and you will soon discover treasures at the bottom of the bowl: sweet red beans, sweet corn, diced jelly (different types) or diced chin chow, green "worms" (coloured rice flour paste that are shaped into little worms and cooked to a springy texture), and a few attap chee which is the unripened fruit of the nipah palm. It is murky white and translucent, and can be hard or soft. Many people consider this the highlight of the dessert and will savour every one that they get.
The ingredients at the bottom of the bowl vary from stall to stall, although red bean and sweet corn are standards. Some omit the green "worms", others use fruit cocktail instead of jelly. Instead of attap chee, some stalls use other fruits such as lychee or longan. Modern versions of this dessert come topped with a dollop of durian or mango paste.
You will enjoy this dessert when the ice is so finely shaven that it melts in your mouth and you do not have rough bits to bite through. Also the amount of syrup drizzled on the ice is important: it should not be too much that everything becomes too sweet, nor should it be so little that you get plain ice by the time you get to the middle. The ingredients should be a good mix, allowing you to have different textures in your mouth at the same time.
Different people have different methods of eating ice kacang. Some attack it from the top, working their way systematicaly through the ice to get to the goodies at the bottom. Some begin from the base of the ice mound, before the start of the bowl and dig their way into the bottom first. That way they will be able to eat the ice with the other ingredients. Just find a method that you are comfortable with and go with it.
thanks to all the sources : Wikipedia ; SingaporeLifestyle ; YourSingapore ; MakanTime ; and all the other sites and blogs
The first ice-cold dessert introduced (way back long ago) in Singapore was ice balls, finely grated ice packed into a ball and topped with a type of coloured sugar coated syrup, typically eaten by using just the fingers or hands. The ice ball was a common sight in the 1950s and 1960s and was sold by the roadside and street corners, usually by pushcart drink vendors . The ice kachang is a modern, more elaborate update of the ice ball--comprising jelly, red beans , sweet corn and attap chee (palm seeds) as its base, and topped off with a mound of shaved ice, psychedelically coloured syrups and condensed milk; and it’s served in either a bowl or a tall glass. Today, ice kachang even comes with fruit cocktail, aloe vera jelly and novelty toppings such as chocolate and durian . This is a fun and colourful dessert - if served in a bowl, it usually comes mound-shaped, and all these lovely ingredients are tucked under the ice shavings so there’s quite a bit of fun to be had by digging your way to the “goodies” .
When served, you will see a huge mount of shaved ice moulded onto a bowl , the ice is packed solid and has at least three different colours from having several flavoured sugar syrups and a generous dose of evaporated milk drizzled over it. Dig in and you will soon discover treasures at the bottom of the bowl: sweet red beans, sweet corn, diced jelly (different types) or diced chin chow, green "worms" (coloured rice flour paste that are shaped into little worms and cooked to a springy texture), and a few attap chee which is the unripened fruit of the nipah palm. It is murky white and translucent, and can be hard or soft. Many people consider this the highlight of the dessert and will savour every one that they get.
The ingredients at the bottom of the bowl vary from stall to stall, although red bean and sweet corn are standards. Some omit the green "worms", others use fruit cocktail instead of jelly. Instead of attap chee, some stalls use other fruits such as lychee or longan. Modern versions of this dessert come topped with a dollop of durian or mango paste.
You will enjoy this dessert when the ice is so finely shaven that it melts in your mouth and you do not have rough bits to bite through. Also the amount of syrup drizzled on the ice is important: it should not be too much that everything becomes too sweet, nor should it be so little that you get plain ice by the time you get to the middle. The ingredients should be a good mix, allowing you to have different textures in your mouth at the same time.
Different people have different methods of eating ice kacang. Some attack it from the top, working their way systematicaly through the ice to get to the goodies at the bottom. Some begin from the base of the ice mound, before the start of the bowl and dig their way into the bottom first. That way they will be able to eat the ice with the other ingredients. Just find a method that you are comfortable with and go with it.
thanks to all the sources : Wikipedia ; SingaporeLifestyle ; YourSingapore ; MakanTime ; and all the other sites and blogs