Even though it’s autumn in Hong Kong, the weather can still be quite warm and humid. On days like these, there’s nothing quite like a cool, refreshing shaved ice dessert to hit the spot. Thankfully, we don’t have to look too far to find one since many shaved ice dessert shops have popped up in the city in recent years.
Shaved ice is thought to have originated in Asia thousands of years ago, but no one knows its exact origin. One of the earliest records of shaved ice is from the Heian period of Japan (794-1185 AD), where it was known as kakigori – shaved ice topped with flavoured syrup.
Back in the day, only the rich could afford kakigori. That is because the ice used for making this treat was usually stored in a special place known as a himuro, or ice house. Someone would always watch the himuro to ensure no one stole the ice. Ice became cheaper and easier for everyone to get during the Meiji period (1868-1912 AD) because of new ways to make and store it.
Since then, different versions of kakigori have sprung up all over the world, each with its own unique take on the icy dessert. Some of the more popular flavours in Hong Kong include mango, red bean and black sesame. These giant mountains of fluffy shaved ice are typically topped with sweetened condensed milk and an assortment of ingredients.
Kathy Ng Yiu-fan, a senior nutritionist at Kat-Spirit Nutrition Centre in Hong Kong, advised against eating shaved ice desserts on a regular basis.
Kathy Ng Yiu-fan, senior nutritionist at Kat-Spirit Nutrition Centre in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout
“I think most of us know [they have a] high sugar content from sweetened syrups and condensed milk. Also, given the large portion of each serving, it’s best to share it with friends and family on special occasions to avoid overeating.”
Ng pointed to the ingredients in these different versions in Hong Kong. Mango shaved ice contains cubes of mango, mango ice cream and mango sauce. Red bean shaved ice has sweetened red beans, sugar and mochi. The version with black sesame consists of black sesame paste, black sesame powder and almond flakes. All of them are prepared with evaporated milk.
“All three types of shaved ice have a similar fat content, with around 10 grams per serving. The mango version has the highest sugar content of the three, with 60 grams per serving. Red beans and black sesame have 40 grams of sugar per serving, respectively,” Ng said.
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She recommended choosing shaved iced desserts with fresh mangoes whenever possible.
“It’s always a good idea to have fresh fruit as long as it has not been sweetened in syrup,” Ng said. Other toppings to consider include berries, melons, kiwi, grass jelly and aloe vera.
“These are just as satisfying and chewy as canned fruits and boba, and they’re much healthier,” she said.
“You can also prepare it yourself at home. It doesn’t take much time. Here’s a quick and easy recipe, and the best thing is that you don’t have to finish it all at once.”
Keep shaved ice dessert a treat and not a regular part of your diet because of its high sugar content. Photo: Shutterstock
Tropical berry shaved ice (serves 2)
- 1 cup of strawberries, washed and sliced
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of stevia
- 1 tablespoon of condensed milk
- a handful of blueberries
- water
Directions
1. Place the strawberries, water and stevia into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
2. Simmer for three minutes. Turn off the heat and blend the mixture until smooth.
3. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer, then pour into squeeze bottles. Store in the fridge overnight.
4. In the meantime, fill half a large ziplock bag with water and tightly seal it before letting it freeze in the fridge. Make sure that the bag is lying flat on the surface so that it is easier to crush the ice later.
5. Once the ice is frozen, use a rolling pin or any other hard kitchen tool to smash it into small pieces until you get the texture and consistency you like.
6. Put the ice in a bowl and add chilled strawberry syrup, condensed milk and blueberries. Enjoy!
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