Baobing
Baobing, also known by its Taiwanese Hokkien name Tsuabing, is a shaved ice dessert found in Greater China and countries with large overseas Chinese populations such as Malaysia. It is especially popular in Taiwan where the dish has a variation called xuehua bing.
Shaved ice was eaten in China as early as the seventh century AD during the Tang Dynasty in northern China. In 1972, when President Richard M. Nixon made his first visit to Beijing, shaved ice was served during state dinners with Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai.
The dessert consists of a large mound of ice shavings with various toppings on top. A wide variety of toppings exist, but the most common ones include sugar water, condensed milk, adzuki beans, mung beans, and tapioca balls. Fruit are also used according to the season. Mango baobing is typically only available in the summer, while strawberry baobing is available in the winter.
Traditionally, these shavings were created by hand using a large mallet to crush ice or a blade to shave ice. Now, most stores use machines, which result in finer, thinner ice shavings.
