Anyone who lives in the tropics will be familiar with these traditional, local desserts – shaved ice. They can be known by various names and locally, depending on what goes in, it could be “ais kacang” or “cendol”.
I had this treat last week on an incredibly hot day and it was the perfect treat! This one is a stripped down version of “ais kacang” which is boiled red beans covered with shaved ice and drizzled with palm sugar (gula melaka). It can get bigger, if you add bits of jelly and more miscellaneous treats. Sometimes, they add colourful syrup for flavour. Its like a treasure chest in there!
What do you call these where you are? 
On another day, I had “cendol” which is those green strips you see. Its made from glutinous rice flour and coloured green and flavoured with pandan leaves.
Shaved ice covers this dessert and is drizzled liberally with palm sugar and coconut milk. I had this in Melaka and it was pretty good. Sometimes, they add some boiled red beans too.
There are numerous variations of these desserts but these are the 2 most common versions we find locally. Every town will have their own famous stalls and versions of these and finding a good one is always cause for a delicious treat. I know that many countries have variations of these too, and are known by different names in different countries.
Do you have a famous shaved ice dessert or stall to recommend where you live? I’d love to try them all!
Paris B
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[ 29 comments… read them below or join the discussion ]
Twitter: shusheshe
May 12, 2012 at 9:24 am
We have these in Taiwan! They are my favourite summer desserts! Generally though, I like the ones that are topped with fruit, like mangoes!
Twitter: paris_b
May 14, 2012 at 5:46 pm
Out of curiousity, what do they call this in Taiwan?
Just in case I visit some day. I know the mango ice desserts are very popular in Taiwan and Hong Kong and they are delicious too!
Twitter: lipglosseater
May 12, 2012 at 9:54 am
I LOVE ice kacang and cendol!
I like my ice kacang topped with fresh mangoes… mmmm!! 
My favourite cendol stall is the one at Penang Road – yes the one where you have to eat it by the roadside (which adds to the whole experience!
) though you can enjoy it comfortably in the coffee shop next to it for a higher price. My friend also brought me to this stall in Kulim, Kedah manned by an Indian lady who has been selling cendol pulut for 30 years… its THE BOMB but sadly i cant remember how to go back! T_T
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Twitter: paris_b
May 14, 2012 at 5:47 pm
Ice Kacang with mango. Yummy!! I always stop by Penang Rd. for the cendol when I’m in Penang. I have it the authentic way, standing by the roadside, hiding from the sun and hoping not to be knocked down by a car hehe… I’m sure Kulim isn’t that big… ermm… time to take a drive there?
If its in a bowl like above, we call it “ABC” (short for ‘ais batu campur’) and if its in a glass, we call it “cendol”. I’m craving for this now no thanks to your post! XD
Twitter: paris_b
May 14, 2012 at 5:48 pm
How very interesting Liz! For us, cendol is the one with the green “worms” so its the same whether its in the glass or in a bowl but how very interesting
So cool. The food you show is so different! You’d never find beans on a dessert here. I’d love to try it!
Twitter: paris_b
May 14, 2012 at 5:49 pm
Oh Tracy, you have to come and visit me here at the equator
But I’m sure if you walk into an Asian restaurant, they may have these red bean soup or ice dessert things or even red bean pancakes. They are usually sweet and I never thought about how odd it might seem to a Westerner till you mentioned it. Most of your beans are savoury aren’t they? 
We have many versions including durian but my fav is still the traditional ice kacang with condensed milk and red beans. I miss the days where they had 3 colored syrups instead of the standard 2 now, red, green and yellow. Chendol is also very good I love gula melaka.
Twitter: paris_b
May 14, 2012 at 5:51 pm
Mmm… I love a nice big towering bowl of ais kacang with all that colorful syrup and gula melaka and underneath, all that delicious red beans, jelly, cincau and atap chee!
Our ice kacang is very, very fancy. I was quite shock by how all the shaved ice desserts in Malaysia are so flat. haha. We have durian and mango ice kacang.
And for some reason, cendol has become chendol in Singapore.
To me, they taste the same everywhere, as long as they use black sugar. But for Chendol, I am very fussy. And I only like those that use kidney beans, not red beans. And the green strips must be thick and fat.
Twitter: paris_b
May 14, 2012 at 5:52 pm
LOL!! We keep to the traditional ways here
I have seen some fancy ones too but for the most part, the ones from the roadside stalls will be pretty flat but still pretty good 
I think cendol is spelt chendol to make sure people get the right pronunciation but it may be the old Malay spelling too 
You should make a trip to Penang and have the famous Penang Road cendol. It fulfils all your criteria of a good one 
Okay, I will try. It’s just hard going places in Malaysia without a car. haha. But yes, I think the desserts in Malaysia are so much more true in the sense, they don’t stinge on ingredients. I ate a milo prata that uses one full cup of milo powder! You’d never get that in Singapore. Everything is about costs.
Twitter: paris_b
May 14, 2012 at 11:39 pm
Ah… You can fly into Penang if there are offers hehe… Locally, the quality of a lot of food has dropped too. Costs too!
Twitter: skyiseternal
May 12, 2012 at 3:25 pm
ooh…here in India…we call it a “gola” means a round ball!! here we take it with sweetedned syrups of varioussssss colors and you know what, I have never ever had it till date!!! weird, no!!! but, this seems pretty interesting with boiled beans and all the edible stuff.
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Twitter: paris_b
May 14, 2012 at 5:54 pm
Wow Swati! How could you not have had a “gola”?
Time to remedy that! hehe… interestingly, in Malay, a round ball will be “bola” which isn’t very far from “gola”! How interesting right?
Twitter: skyiseternal
May 17, 2012 at 8:25 pm
haha…so true
will deifnitley give it a try next time I come across it!!!
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Penang Road cendol (in Penang, of course)! Hands down the best.
I don’t know what they did differently, but it’s something with that gula Melaka mixture. Addictive!
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Twitter: paris_b
May 14, 2012 at 5:57 pm
Yes! I make sure I stop for a bowl or two when I’m in Penang
Its really good. I’m sorta missing it now. Time to head north I think 
in Iran we call it “yakh dar behesht”, it means “ice in heaven”, but it’s different from yours in Malaysia, it is shaved ice mixed with fruity syrups. it is quite popular in summer.
Twitter: paris_b
May 14, 2012 at 5:58 pm
Hi there! Thanks for sharing the Iranian name, and I think its absolutely fascinating that shaved ice desserts are popular all over the world, and in different forms
Twitter: mostlysunnyblog
May 12, 2012 at 9:11 pm
We have this back home *jumping up and down*
I’m not a fan of boiled red beans (though I know a lot of people are. My mom is), but I really love it with tapioca pearls and all the chewy things we have :p Not surprising right? I love to chew!
Twitter: paris_b
May 14, 2012 at 5:59 pm
Taiwan is famous for their ice desserts!
I’m not a fan of red beans too haha! I used to order mine with just jelly and no beans. Seems like I have to go to Taiwan soon to try its food and desserts. 
Twitter: mostlysunnyblog
May 14, 2012 at 6:01 pm
Come this summer lady (or any summer, because that’s when I tend to show my face in Taipei haha)! We’ll do the town and eat so much till we both put on a couple of kilos (actually, I always lose weight when I’m back home. I think all the excitement coupled up with walking around so much sees to that)!
Twitter: theBumblebee92
May 13, 2012 at 9:50 am
I love cendol and ais kacang with glutinous rice and durian~~~ ^^ Fav treat on hot day!
Twitter: paris_b
May 14, 2012 at 6:05 pm
Ahhh I’ve never tried it with durian (!!) But I’m not much of a fan of the fruit so I guess I’m not missing anything. But pulut? That’s interesting! I’ll have to try next time
I’m Indonesian and I don’t know that ‘cendol’ is available in Malaysia (and with that name! I thought it would be called something else)
Twitter: paris_b
May 14, 2012 at 11:27 pm
Haha I didn’t know it’s in Indonesia too! I think in our region we share a lot of similarities in food and culture. That’s sort of nice
Twitter: samstillreading
June 4, 2012 at 1:55 pm
I love chendol. In Perth, Australia, I recommend Taurus