Bingsu: Korean shaved ice, including patbingsu

What is in a bowl of bingsu?

빙수, bingsu, is the general word; 팥빙수, patbingsu, names a version with sweet red beans. A mango or strawberry bowl can be bingsu without being patbingsu.

Some bowls have noticeable ice flakes that crunch slightly as you eat. Others use finely shaved frozen milk or a milk mixture, giving a soft, snowy texture. “Snow” on a menu describes that light texture; it does not mean all bingsu is made from milk. Toppings can include chopped fruit, condensed milk, small rice cakes, powders or ice cream, depending on the café and the particular dish.

A large bowl may be shared, but single portions also exist. If sharing, ask how your companions like to eat it: some mix the toppings in, while others take a little of each layer. You might start with a spoonful of plain ice to notice the texture before the flavour of the toppings takes over.

Milk, nuts and other ingredients are not always obvious from a photograph. Check the actual bowl if you have dietary needs. A fruit topping does not make the ice underneath dairy-free. For more everyday food conversation, see Korean comfort food.

When do people eat bingsu?

Bingsu has no festival date. Hot weather makes a cold dessert appealing, so summer is a useful season to ask about it. Cafés may also keep popular varieties on the menu in winter, while changing fruit toppings with availability.

The question “Which flavour do you like?” is more useful than assuming your pen pal eats it often. Someone might remember a bowl shared after a meal, prefer another dessert or dislike very sweet toppings. Ask about the occasion as well as the ingredients: a quick snack and a leisurely café visit can feel quite different even with the same food.

Words to recognise on a dessert menu

Romanisation helps you recognise a menu name; it is not an exact pronunciation guide. Read 팥 as pat, the red-bean part of patbingsu, and keep the broader word bingsu for other toppings.

Ask your pen pal

Choose one question and say what you enjoy too. The short polite endings suit a new friend; Korean letter phrases can help with a greeting.

• 어떤 빙수를 좋아해요? — Which kind of bingsu do you like?
• 팥이 들어간 빙수를 좋아해요? — Do you like bingsu with red beans?
• 과일 빙수와 우유 빙수 중에 뭐가 더 좋아요? — Which do you prefer, fruit bingsu or milk bingsu?
• 빙수를 섞어서 먹어요? — Do you mix your bingsu before eating it?
• 겨울에도 빙수를 먹어요? — Do you eat bingsu in winter too?

A postcard about a dessert you want to try

Name a topping you are curious about and say why: a fruit you enjoy, the texture of rice cakes or the contrast between snowy ice and red beans.

A food postcard in Sea Pals

What would go on your bowl of bingsu? Write a dessert postcard for a pen pal in Sea Pals, or meet the app through its Korean pen pals page.