While Korean and other Asian cuisines have caught on like wildfire in Bengaluru over the past few years, with an abundance of restaurants serving young Bengalureans’ favourite dishes, desserts have somehow largely slipped through the conversation that focuses on wholesome main courses like ramyun, japche, and endless side dishes. However, an increasing number of restaurants in the city are choosing to highlight a traditional Korean dessert – bingsu.
“Over the past year or two, there’s been a noticeable uptick in interest around Asian desserts in general, especially with the younger crowd. Bingsu in particular has become trendy, and we’re starting to see more cafés and dessert spots in Bengaluru offering it, along with other regional variations,” notes Joonie Tan, owner of Kopitiam Lah, Indiranagar.
Krish Nayak, co-owner of Taiki, which introduced the dessert onto their menu back in 2019, attributes this to the K-wave and social media. “Back then, most people didn’t know what Bingsu was, but now people are aware of it. K-pop and K-dramas have had an impact, but also the Gen Z crowd, especially, wants to have good pictures to post on social media because Bingsu is visually appealing. The shaved ice machines, too, are now readily available in India and don’t have to be imported from South Korea, leading to increased availability.”
This dish, made out of shaved ice and traditionally covered in toppings like red bean paste, milk, and powdered nuts, dates back to the 1390s Joseon dynasty, and is a popular summer treat. With the original flavours of a Bingsu being somewhat of an acquired taste, outlets in Bengaluru are adapting it to the Indian palate. “While it is traditionally shaved ice with different sweeteners and fermented beans, today, Koreans have experimented with changing the ice to milk and there are hundreds of different flavours and toppings like seasonal fruits, fruit juice, etc,” says Sarath P Raj, the owner of Fahrenheit, HSR Layout, adding that mango is currently his bestseller. “Mangoes have a creamy texture, and that pure flavour blended with the soft texture – people love it right now.” Apart from this, outlets are also offering variations highlighting chocolate, oreo, and other flavours commonly associated with ice cream.
Bingsu’s striking visuals seem to be a huge factor in appealing to locals unfamiliar with the dish. As Oliver Elvis, the owner of Cups and Bowls Cafe, Kothanur, says, “As soon as we bring it out, they get excited because visually, it is a spectacle. It’s usually presented beautifully and is very big. Like a lot of Korean cuisine, it’s meant to be shared among friends; it’s all about community eating,” he explains. Once they try it, it’s the familiar yet new texture of the Bingsu that keeps people coming back, as Raj notes, “The texture is different from any other dessert, but Indians are familiar with golas’ mouth feel. It doesn’t feel like having an ice cream – because it’s like snow, it kind of melts in your mouth, and it’s a different feel altogether,” says Nayak.
While Bingsu is currently getting the most attention, shaved ice desserts are popular across Asia, with each country having its own version. Tan suggests giving them a try as well, explaining, “Across Asia, shaved ice desserts are deeply rooted in local food cultures as a way to cool down in hot, humid climates. Japan has Kakigori, flavoured with syrups like matcha, yuzu, or strawberry, and sometimes topped with condensed milk or mochi. In the Philippines, halo-halo is a vibrant mix of shaved ice, evaporated milk, jellies, beans, fruits, and ice cream. And of course, in Malaysia, we have Ais Kacang, a colourful mountain of shaved ice with red beans, sweet corn, grass jelly, palm seed, gula melaka syrup, and evaporated milk.”