Chhoah-peng
 A plate of bàobīng with strawberries and condensed milk | |
| Type | Shaved ice |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | China |
| Main ingredients | Shaved ice, syrup, fruit |
| Variations | Syrup may be omitted |
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2013) |
Baobing (Chinese: 刨冰), also called tsua-bing (Chinese: 剉冰; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhoah-peng in Taiwanese Hokkien), is a Chinese shaved ice dessert very common in China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Vietnam. It is especially popular during the summer. Baobing was eaten in China as early as the seventh century A.D.[1]
To create the dessert, a large mound of ice shavings are first placed on a plate. In the past, ice shavings were created by hand, either by using a large mallet to crush ice into fine pieces, using a large freehand blade to shave off ice, or turning a hand-cranked machine to do the same. In modern times, a special machine is used, resulting in ice-shavings which are much finer and thinner than in the past. Some establishments may still produce their ice by hand, and thus the texture varies. To the ice shavings a variety of toppings may be added. Traditionally, only sugarcane juice or syrup was added to it to give a mild sweet taste, like drinking sugarcane juice with ice cubes, other options include various kinds of syrup or condensed milk. Then numerous toppings are added, examples include fruits, taro, azuki beans, mung beans, yams, sweetened peanuts, almond junket, and grass jelly. Various pre-set combinations exist, but customers can often choose individual toppings as they desire.
Baobing is similar to other desserts such as Japanese kakigōri, Filipino halo halo, Korean patbingsu, Malaysian ice kacang, and Italian ice, grattachecca or granita.
References
- ^ "The Americanization of Bao Bing, a Cool, Fruity Asian Treat" New York Times, June 7, 1989
See also
- Kakigōri: The Japanese shaved ice variant
- Patbingsu: The Korean shaved ice variant
- Air batu campur: The Malaysian shaved ice variant
