Bingsu

Patbingsu (Korean Shaved Milk Ice)

A beloved South Korean summer dessert of feather-light shaved milk ice topped with sweet red beans, fruit, chewy rice cakes and a drizzle of condensed milk. Best assembled right before eating so the ice stays snowy.

Prep

20 min

Cook

35 min

Total

55 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) azuki red beans, dried, or canned sweetened red beans (patbingsu ko)
• •200 g (7 oz) granulated sugar, divided; reduce to 100 g if using canned beans
• •1 g (¼ tsp) fine salt
• •500 ml (2 cups) whole milk, for the ice base; full-fat gives the creamiest shave
• •150 ml (⅔ cup) heavy cream, optional, enriches the frozen base
• •40 g (3 tbsp) sweetened condensed milk, divided, plus more for serving
• •1 tsp vanilla extract
• •200 g (7 oz) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
• •1 whole mandarin orange or ripe mango, peeled and segmented
• •150 g (5 oz) ripe kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
• •120 g (4 oz) garettok (Korean rice cakes), small cylindrical; substitute with mochi, sliced into 2 cm rounds
• •1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, optional garnish

Steps

1. 1 Rinse the dried azuki beans, cover with plenty of cold water and soak for 4–6 hours or overnight. Drain.
2. 2 Place soaked beans in a pot, cover with 1.5 L of fresh water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook 50–70 minutes until the beans are soft enough to crush easily between your fingers.
3. 3 Drain, reserving a little of the cooking liquid. Return beans to the pot with 150 g sugar and 1 g salt. Simmer 8–10 minutes until the beans are glossy and the syrup coats them; loosen with a splash of reserved liquid if too thick. Cool completely before chilling. (Skip this step if using canned sweetened beans.)
4. 4 Combine the milk, cream, 30 g condensed milk, vanilla and 10 g sugar in a bowl and whisk to dissolve. Pour into a wide, shallow metal or silicone container (a loaf pan works well) to a depth of about 2 cm.
5. 5 Freeze for 4–6 hours, or overnight, until solid. A metal pan freezes faster and shaves more cleanly than plastic.
6. 6 Bring the frozen block to -5 to -8 °C (about 10–15 minutes out of the freezer) for the cleanest shave; shave with a hand-cranked Korean ice shaver (bingsu-kkal) into a large bowl. If using a sturdy blender, pulse 1–2 cm chunks of the frozen block briefly until it looks like fresh snow.
7. 7 Meanwhile, simmer the rice cakes in lightly salted boiling water for 2–3 minutes until they are soft and chewy but still hold their shape. Drain and toss with 1 tsp sugar while warm to keep them glossy.
8. 8 To assemble each bowl, mound about 2 generous cups of shaved milk ice. Top with 2–3 tbsp red beans, a scattering of mixed fruit and 4–5 warm rice cake pieces.
9. 9 Drizzle 1 tbsp condensed milk over the top and finish with a pinch of toasted sesame seeds if using. Serve immediately, handing each person a long-handled spoon; the dessert is meant to be eaten right away while the ice is still fluffy.
10. 10 Safety note: keep dairy-based ice base frozen until assembly, and serve the same day it is shaved; leftovers will refreeze into a hard block and lose the snow-like texture.