My All-Time Favorite Dessert to Make for Myself Is This Delicious 3-Ingredient “Ice Rice”

Summers in Southern China are excruciatingly hot, especially when the temperatures frequently soar past 90 degrees. It’s true that air-conditioned malls, cold showers, and outrageously large neck fans all promise brief respite from the heat — but when I’m hot, parched, and hungry, I reach for bing fan, a mountain of sweet shaved ice perched atop a bed of crunchy and chewy toppings.

On a recent trip to Fuzhou, China, I ate bing fan almost daily. My friend Allen Cao, who grew up in the nearby district of Changle, knew exactly where to take me every time. His hometown’s famed bing fan street has dozens of stores — some old-school, others sleek and modern — all devoted to this frozen specialty. 

At one modern spot, we watched the vendors ladle watermelon cubes, colorful jellies, and sticky glutinous rice into a clear bowl, before piling a cloud of shaved ice over everything. The weather was swampy even after sunset, but draped over an icy bowl of bing fan, I could finally think straight.

Back home in New York, my mind still drifts to this cold dessert whenever the temperature peaks. Fortunately, Allen and I know of a few noteworthy bing fan spots in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park, home to one of the city’s largest Fujianese communities, and we visit whenever possible. When I’m at home, I’m often re-creating this frozen dessert from scratch. 

The three-ingredient base is easy to make, with the right rice. Here’s how I make it. 

Bing fan is a beloved street dessert from Fuzhou, the capital of China’s Fujian province. Its name translates to ice rice, a nod to its core ingredients: sweet glutinous rice (I use Koda Farms Sho-Chiku-Bai Sweet Rice because it’s chewy and has a subtle sweetness), finely crushed ice, and a colorful medley of toppings. A classic bowl might feature peanuts, raisins, assorted jellies, sweet beans, and fresh fruit like watermelon, dragonfruit, or mango. Modern shops sometimes offer toppings such as goji berries, chia seeds, and snow fungus. Right before it’s served, everything is dressed in a brown sugar syrup that lends a cooling, caramel-like sweetness. 

Variations of fruit-filled, ice-cold treats can be found across Asia. In southern Fujian, people crave si guo tang, a creamy, sweet “soup” made with coconut milk, fruit, jellies, and other customizable add-ins. Elsewhere in China, bao bing features thinly shaved sheets of flavored ice topped with sweet red beans and condensed milk. While in Western China, bing fen — not to be confused with Fuzhou’s bing fan — features jelly derived from the seeds of the shoofly plant (Nicandra physalodes), along with haw flakes, fresh summer fruit, and jiu niang (fermented rice). 

All have their sweet merits, but in my opinion, bing fan stands apart from the rest for its fun spectrum of flavors and textures. 

In Fujian’s southern coastal heat, this reliably cold snack satisfies both the hungry and the parched, no matter the season. Evan Toretto Li, owner of the Fujianese restaurant Nin Hao in Brooklyn, remembers digging into bowls of bing fan with skewers after basketball games. For Allen, it was the only dessert his parents didn’t outright object to before ice cream or cake. I even surveyed Fuzhou America, a community of Fuzhouese Americans, and found that the top bing fan toppings are watermelon, milk tea, and salted roasted peanuts.

I prepare my Koda Farms Sho-Chiku-Bai Sweet Rice according to its directions and set that aside. The intimidating part is the shaved ice, but it’s easier than you might think. I don’t own a shaved ice machine, but that’s never stopped me from making bing fan at home. Using just a blender, I blitz ice on medium speed, which transforms it into fluffy, snow-like mountains.

There’s no one right way to make bing fan, but I like to add a few different ingredients for a playful contrast of chew, color, and flavor. I personally gravitate toward crisp, refreshing fruits like watermelon, dragonfruit, and kiwi. For texture, I reach for bouncy toppings like taro balls, tapioca pearls, and mochi. I finish with not-too-sweet add-ons like raisins, grass jelly, red beans, and haw flakes for extra bursts of flavor.

Prepare each component separately before assembling. If preparing in advance, store the syrup, toppings, and rice in separate containers, and assemble just before serving.

• Taro Balls
• Tapioca Pearls
• Watermelon, cubed
• Kiwi, cubed
• Crushed peanuts
• Raisins
• Grass jelly

1. Prepare the rice and toppings: Cook 1 cup of the glutinous rice until soft and chewy, according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, prep any desired toppings. Divide rice and toppings among 2 serving bowls.
2. Make the sugar syrup: For a 2–1 ratio, warm about 1/2 cup of water (do not boil) and stir in 1 cup of brown sugar until dissolved. Set aside to cool completely.
3. Shave the ice: In a blender, pulse ice cubes on medium speed until fine and powdery.
4. Assemble and serve: Spoon the shaved ice over the toppings and drizzle with sugar syrup to taste. Bing fan is best enjoyed right away, while the ice is fluffy and cold.

What are your favorite toppings to add to bing fan? Tell us in the comments below.