Bingsu Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
*Bingsu*
Pat-bingsu (red bean bingsu)
Alternative names	Bingsoo
Type	Shaved ice
Course	Dessert
Place of origin	Korea
Serving temperature	Cold
Main ingredients	Ice, toppings
Variations	Pat-bingsu (red bean bingsu), nokcha-bingsu (green tea bingsu), ttalgi-bingsu (strawberry bingsu), choko-bingsu (chocolate bingsu), etc

Red bean shaved ice
Korean shaved ice
Hangul	빙수
Hanja	氷水
Revised Romanization	bingsu
McCune–Reischauer	pingsu
IPA	[piŋ.su]
Hangul	팥빙수
Hanja	팥氷水
Revised Romanization	pat-bingsu
McCune–Reischauer	p'at-pingsu
IPA	[pʰat̚.p͈iŋ.su]

Bingsu (Hangul: 빙수; Hanja: 氷水), also called bingsoo, is a super cool shaved ice dessert from Korea. It's topped with yummy sweet things. These can include chopped fruit, creamy condensed milk, sweet fruit syrup, and red beans.

The most popular kind is pat-bingsu (Korean: 팥빙수). This is shaved ice with red beans. Long ago, people used natural ice. Now, we have machines that make ice. We also have many tasty toppings. This has made bingsu even better.

Discovering Bingsu's Past
Many Kinds of Bingsu
Bingsu Around the World
Images for kids
See also

Discovering Bingsu's Past

The first types of bingsu appeared a long time ago. This was during the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). Old government papers show that officials shared crushed ice. They put different fruits on top. This ice came from a special old Korean ice storage place. It was called seokbinggo (Korean: 석빙고).

The early patbingsu had simple ingredients. It was just shaved ice with two or three things. These were usually red bean paste, tteok (a chewy rice cake), and ground nut powder.

Modern bingsu started to be sold in 1946. This was at Taegeukdang (Korean: 태극당). It is the oldest bakery in Seoul. After the Korean War, new ideas came from the West. More tasty toppings were added. These included cereals, syrups, ice creams, and whipped creams.

Many Kinds of Bingsu

Patbingsu (팥빙수) is the most famous. It means "red beans shaved ice." It's a popular shaved ice dessert from Korea. It has sweet toppings like chopped fruit, condensed milk, and fruit syrup.

The first bingsu was just ice shavings with red beans. Red beans are called pat (팥). Today, there are many different kinds of patbingsu.

Not all bingsu follow old traditions. Some don't even have red bean paste. Here are some popular flavors you might find:

Green tea bingsu
Coffee bingsu
Yogurt bingsu

Bingsu Around the World

Bingsu in Korea

In Korea, you can find many kinds of bingsu. Besides patbingsu, there's Injeolmi shaved ice. There's also melon shaved ice, coffee shaved ice, and green tea shaved ice. These are made by different shops.

In the Joseon Dynasty, people mixed honey and fruit with ice. This ice came from the seokbinggo. After the Korean War, new ingredients arrived. These included condensed milk, syrup, and chocolate from the United States. That's when modern "Korean shaved ice" began. Now, you can find bingsu in almost every dessert shop in Korea.

Bingsu in Japan

In Japan, there's a similar dessert called Shirokuma (白熊). This means "white bear." It was first made in a tea shop in Kagoshima. It looks like a white bear's face. White condensed milk is poured over shaved ice in a round bowl. Then, fruits like sweet red beans, cherries, and tangerines are added.

Bingsu in Singapore

In Singapore, mango shaved ice is very popular. It has lots of fresh mangoes. Another famous one is "Monster bingsu." This one freezes different milk flavors. Then, it grinds the milk into layers. It's topped with chocolate shaped like eyeballs! This bingsu uses milk ice, not just water ice.