Ais kacang facts for kids
Ais kacang topped with basil seeds, peanuts, corn, and a scoop of ice cream.
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| Alternative names | ABC, air batu campur, ice kachang |
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| Course | Dessert |
| Place of origin | Malaysia |
| Region or state | Southeast Asia |
| Associated national cuisine | Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei |
| Created by | Malaysian Malays |
| Main ingredients | Shaved ice, red beans |
Ais kacang (pronounced "ice ka-chang") is a super cool and sweet dessert from Southeast Asia. Its name means "bean ice" in Malay. You might also hear it called ABC, which stands for air batu campur, meaning "mixed ice." This yummy treat is very popular in Malaysia, Singapore (where it's often called ice kachang), and Brunei.
Imagine a mountain of finely shaved ice, topped with all sorts of colorful and tasty ingredients. It's the perfect way to cool down on a hot day! Many coffee shops, food courts, and hawker centers in Southeast Asia sell this special dessert. Ais kacang is known as one of Malaysia's most unique and beloved dishes.
A Sweet History
People first started making early versions of ice kachang around the 1900s in Singapore. This was after the First World War, when making ice became cheaper and easier.
One of the first types of this dessert was green. It had shaved ice with sweet syrups, special soaked seeds, and seaweed jelly. Street sellers often sold this version. Over the years, the dish changed a lot. In the 1920s, some ice kachang was topped with rose water, lime, or even a licorice flavor.
By the 1940s, the dessert started to look more like it does today. It was a "little mountain" of shaved ice. This mountain was topped with red beans, a fruit that looked like grapes, sweet syrup, and condensed or evaporated milk. Some older versions, like the "ice ball" dessert, were popular in the 1950s and 1960s but are not often seen today.
How is it Made?
Ais kacang used to be simple, with just shaved ice and red beans. But now, it has many more exciting ingredients! Today, ais kacang often looks very bright and colorful. It comes with different fruit mixes and sweet drizzles.
In Malaysia, a common ais kacang might have attap chee (which are palm seeds), red beans, sweet corn, grass jelly, roasted peanuts, and cubes of agar agar. Sometimes, you might find aloe vera, cendol (green jelly noodles), nata de coco (coconut jelly), or even ice cream on top!
To finish it off, a drizzle of evaporated milk, condensed milk, or coconut milk goes over the ice mountain. Then, red rose syrup and sarsi syrup are added. Some places even offer special toppings like durian fruit or chocolate syrup. You can also find versions made simply with palm sugar syrup.
In Singapore, traditional ice kachang is also a mountain of shaved ice. It usually includes red beans, creamed corn, attap chee, cendol, and grass jelly. This is quite similar to the Malaysian style. It's often drizzled with syrups made from gula melaka (palm sugar), red rose syrup, and pandan syrup. Newer versions might add fruits like durian or mango. Other fun toppings can include Milo powder, peanuts, and sago pearls.
See also
In Spanish: Ais kacang para niños
