Patbingsu

If you've been reading my blog you've also seen a lot of bingsu around here. I thought I could share a bit more photos and also tell more about this traditional Korean dessert. 

The traditional ingredients are shaved ice, red bean paste and ground nut powder. 

There are dessert-cafés that are specialized in these traditional icy desserts. 

Do you know where the name comes from? Well, that's easy. The name litarally means "beans with ice". These days the dessert is much more than just beans with ice though. 

Patbingsu was around already during Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897) and it's still the favourite dessert of many Korean people. The original bingsu is a Korean invention, but due to foreign influences while Japan was ruling Korea, the dessert got some additional flavours. 

The modern form of patbingsu can include for example fruit cocktail (fresh or dried fruits), ice cream, condensed milk, fruit syrup, nuts, whipped cream, rice cakes... Some of the trendy flavour these days are green tea, coffee, yoghurt and melon. Why won't you also try cheese bingsu, it's very interesting! 

Patbingsu can be found almost in any fast food restaurants, cafés and bakeries in Korea, and it's also sold in Koreatowns for example in America. 

The friend of this shaved ice dessert is of course snow dessert. It's like delicate, tasty, fresh fallen snow. 

This is the best during a hot summer-day! No wonder why bingsu sells so well during July-August. 

The portions are big, usually nobody eats patbingsu alone (well, I do...) In Korea almost any food is meant to be shared! 

Some cafés make patbingsu look very beautiful. 

One of the trendy, modern flavours: green tea. Green tea is everywhere these days, you can find it in latte, ice cream, candies, almost anywhere. 

Another trend of 2014: melon bingsu. It's very delicious. 

Could you eat all of this alone? I can, but I can tell that it's not always easy. Why won't they make smaller portions? 

Another chapter that's all about food... I should start writing some kind of Food Chronicles perhaps.