patbingsu

[jschyun]

My favorite way to eat shaved ice is in patbingsu, the treat you can get at Korean bubble tea joints in L.A., cafes, and some bakeries. If you want the deluxe version, it usually comes with ice cream, boatloads of fresh fruit (I think usually strawberries, kiwis, bananas) or you can get the cheaper ones with just red bean in syrup, some canned fruit, a shot of condensed milk or syrup.

But the most important thing in a patbingsu is: the dduk. I love the dduk. it's the little white squre thing, basically looks like, and sort of tastes like a tiny, non-sweet marshmallow. it's soft and plump and gets a little chewier when it's cold from the ice. Eaten with the red beans, some ice, a little fruit, there's nothing better. My favorite version still is the one sold at the Arirang Supermarket in Garden Grove, CA (see pic below). They make the ice powdery fine, and they add lots of dduk and pat (beans) if you ask them nicely. The version below is the one with fruit but I think without ice cream. --even if you don't like the idea of beans in your dessert, they definitely add a rich, smooth sweetness that is occasionally almost chocolately. That chocolate looking syrup on top is not chocolate sauce, it's syrup from the beans.

Edited June 19, 2004 by jschyun (log)

[Behemoth]

For the past year I have walked by a little Korean "bubble tea and chocolate fondue" place near my department, and they have a little sign in the window that says "we have Pat Bing Su!". Now I know what it is

The place is actually called ah-ri-rang. I wonder if there is a connection?

[jschyun]

I doubt they're related but hey, who knows. However, Arirang is a pretty common name.

Chocolate fondue? You must take a pic and show us! hehe just kidding. no pressure...

Over time, I've tried a bunch of different bubble tea shops, in L.A./O.C. and I have to say I haven't found one that does a patbingsu I like. i hope you like that place. I think I am averse to the idea of tapioca balls in my patbingsu, because they often use it in place of dduk, which makes me sad.

However, there is this one bubble tea place near me that does an okay patbingsu, they put all sorts of stuff in there like young coconut, lychees, tapioca (large), ice cream, condensed milk, strawberries and I forget what else. But no dduk. Actually, this version seems, to me, to be closer to bing (Chinese) than bingsu.

Edited June 19, 2004 by jschyun (log)

[Pan]

"Arirang" is a beloved traditional song in Korea.

[TheFoodTutor]

Jinhuchun tea house in Atlanta also serves shaved ice desserts, and I was wondering if they were more of the patbingsu variety. I will probably go tomorrow to see if they have dduk, but I know they use a lot of sweet red beans, grass jelly, coconut, condensed milk and some other fruits.

I have not seen the whole thing topped with whipped cream and a cherry, as pictured above though.

They also serve bubble tea and tea eggs there.

[jschyun]

You won't see patbingsu at Jinhuchun Tea House, because that is a Taiwanese company. I think you're talking about bing, which is undoubtedly the Chinese predecessor of (the Korean) bingsu.

However (Chinese) bing is great too, in a different way. In my area, there's this (I think Taiwanese) place in Cerritos, CA called Guppy Tea House, where the shaved ice is about a foot high and basically requires 2 or more people to finish it. Employees load on the toppings by strapping on some gloves, grabbing the fruit/beans by the handful, and then slapping it onto the ice mountain. sometime I'll get a pic to show you. Monstrous. It's inexpensive too, which is prob why students love this place.

--oh yeah, and they give you a squirt bottle of condensed milk to pour over the thing.

--yeah, i've never seen the whipped cream/cherry thing at Chinese places either. I guess it's a different aesthetic.

I've never seen dduk in (Chinese) bing. I'm sure that's a Korean addition. Also, you'll notice a light tan powder in my pic, under the whipped cream. I think that's misutgaru (I should ask), aka roasted grain powder. also a korean addition. I like the look of it, but I don't think I ever get enough of it to taste it.

Edited June 23, 2004 by jschyun (log)

[melonpan]

However (Chinese) bing is great too, in a different way.

nicoles in ktown plaza in los angeles does an okay version. like jschyun, i prefer mine with ddeok. i also like lotsa misutggaru (there should be TONS, enough to taste for sure -- adds a nice toasted grainy flavour).

nicole's "nicole bingsu" has neither. but it will do in a pinch...

from the bottom up: shave ice, condensed milk, cantaloupe, fresh strawberry syrup, paht, bananas, macerated strawberries, scoop vanilla ice cream and a couple kiwi bits

[torakris]

Wow this looks like Japanese kakigori (shaved ice) taken to the extremes!

I need to find a place in Japan that does this.....

Japanese kakigori:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=23435

[Merry_Marie]

I've never seen dduk in (Chinese) bing.  I'm sure that's a Korean addition. Also, you'll notice a light tan powder in my pic, under the whipped cream.  I think that's misutgaru (I should ask), aka roasted grain powder. also a korean addition.  I like the look of it, but I don't think I ever get enough of it to taste it.

←

Im not sure if this is the case everywhere, but the powdery stuff u find in patpingsu is (where i am) often just bean powder (i think in Japanese its called kinako ..something to that effect) You put it on Ddok/mochi etc..It has quite a mild taste which my little brother doesnt like (he says it tastes like coffee, but i dont think so..) Its a light caramel, cream colour..

[jschyun]

Hmm, you might be right. Misutgaru is kind of expensive. I keep forgetting to ask exactly what it is.

[melonpan]

misutgaru is not just ground soybean powder (kinako aka konggaru).

misutgaru contains konggaru. misutgaru is a mixture of different roasted grains. the recipe varies widely. but it often has ground rice, ground sweet rice, ground roasted black beans, ground corn meal, roasted ground barley...

it is often used as a substitute meal and in the army can be used as emergency food. which is a little strange (as an emergency food) because it goes rancid/moldy very quickly, more so than plain ground grains alone. even if you keep it in the freezer, you have to use it up pretty quickly.

[jschyun]

very true melonpan. But is what we are getting on our patbingsu misutgaru (roasted multigrain powder) or konggaru (roasted bean powder)

I could swear I asked for more misutgaru one time and they didn't correct me but memory is vague.

[melonpan]

it is easy to determine by taste and by sight. by taste you will have to know just by knowing. but konggaru looks like an evenly pale brown powder throughout. misutgaru will a powder with lots of different colored flecks throughout since it is a true mixture. if you look closely you will see distinct white and black and brown powder bits.

maybe people are just being stingy and calling konggaru misutgaru. or perhaps they are just being lazy about correcting others. i dont know, but the two are different things.

konggaru on top of your pahtbingsu would be delicious. i even suggested doing such a thing in the <a href="http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=40800">japan forums kinako thread</a> but misutgaru is better of course!

[jschyun]

Interesting. I can tell the difference when I eat them in other things, but in patbingsu, I have to admit, I can't really tell. It's always covered up with other stuff too so I can't really see it. Maybe I'll follow your lead and make them put a ton in. I'm pretty happy with my usual though.

[touaregsand]

I prefer my patbingsu plain, the way I had it when I was little. Just the pat and mitsugaru.