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Bingsu (Shaved Ice with Sweet Toppings)
Serves 2 Prep 20 min Cook 0 min Total 20 min Type Dessert Origin Korean

Bingsu (Shaved Ice with Sweet Toppings)

Korea's summer sundae: a mountain of finely shaved milk-ice topped with sweet red bean, condensed milk, fruit, mochi and roasted soybean powder.

Serves 2 Prep 20 minutes (most components made ahead) Cook 0 minutes (assembly only) Units Rate

Overview

Whole milk freezes solid in a shallow tray overnight. The frozen milk shaves into a fluffy snow (an ice-shaving machine is ideal; a powerful blender pulsed briefly is the alternative). Piled into a large bowl. Topped with sweet red bean paste (pat), a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk, fresh fruit pieces, chewy mochi balls (or short-grain rice cake squares), a dusting of injeolmi (sweet soybean flour). Eaten quickly, the ice melts.

Ingredients

Frozen milk base

  • 500 ml whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

Sweet red bean (pat) - quick version

  • 200 g pre-cooked sweetened azuki (or adzuki beans, canned or pre-made)
  • (or make from scratch: 200 g dried red beans + 150 g sugar, cooked till soft)

Toppings (vary to taste)

  • 100 g fresh strawberries (hulled, halved)
  • 100 g blueberries
  • 50 g mochi pieces (sold ready, or make from glutinous rice flour)
  • 50 g sweet rice cake (tteok) cut into 1 cm cubes (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (for drizzling)
  • 2 tablespoons injeolmi powder (roasted soybean powder, sold at Korean markets - substitute toasted soya flour or finely crushed sweet biscuits)
  • 1 scoop vanilla ice cream (optional, on top)

Method

Stage 1 - Freeze the milk

  1. Whisk the 500 ml whole milk with 2 tablespoons condensed milk.
  2. Pour into a wide shallow tray (a small loaf tin or freezer-safe container).
  3. Freeze overnight until solid.

Stage 2 - Shave the milk

  1. Method 1 (ice shaver): scrape the frozen block into fine flakes with a Korean ice shaver - pile into a bowl.
  2. Method 2 (blender): break the frozen milk into chunks; pulse in a powerful blender briefly (3-4 short pulses) until it's a snow-soft consistency. Don't over-blend (you'll get milkshake).
  3. Method 3 (manual): scrape the surface of the frozen milk repeatedly with a fork; takes longer but gives a nice flake.

Stage 3 - Build

  1. Pile the shaved milk into a wide shallow bowl, mounding generously above the rim.
  2. Spoon the red bean paste in a generous mound on top.
  3. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of condensed milk over the ice.
  4. Scatter strawberries, blueberries, mochi pieces and rice cake cubes.
  5. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if using.

Stage 4 - Finish

  1. Dust generously with injeolmi powder (the sweet roasted soybean flour gives the iconic nutty layer).
  2. Serve immediately with two long spoons.
  3. Eat quickly - the bingsu melts fast.

Notes

  • Milk bingsu vs water-ice bingsu: the modern Korean version freezes milk (creamy and shaves into snow); the traditional version uses crushed water-ice (icier, less rich). Milk is the popular choice now.
  • Don't over-blend: shaved ice should be snow-fluffy, not slushy. Pulse briefly.
  • Sweet red bean paste is the soul: the savoury-sweet beans against the cold milk-ice is the iconic flavour. Don't substitute regular azuki beans (unsweetened) without adding sugar.
  • Injeolmi powder: roasted soybean powder. Korean grocers stock it. Substitutes (toasted soya flour, ground roasted peanuts, crushed sweet biscuits) are acceptable but not the same.

Storage

  • Assemble immediately before eating.
  • Pre-made frozen milk and toppings keep separately for weeks.
  • Don't try to keep assembled bingsu - it melts.

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