Malaysia doesn’t have four seasons. However, like every other Chinese New Year, the heat from the sun comes to a peak during this festive season. After a few days feasting on meaty dishes and buttery cookies, I desperately look for something light, cooling and refreshing. I need ice. Here are some of the ways you can enjoy ice.

In a tropical country like Malaysia, no doubt, iced dessert is popular. If you go to Malacca, you should not miss cendol. Cendol is shaved ice serve with coconut milk, Gula Melaka (palm sugar), strands of green thingy made from green pea flour and pandan leaves, and optionally sago, red bean, corn…the list is endless. I had my bowl of cendol at Donald and Lily’s corner. The shaved ice is on the coarse side, but the balance of coconut milk and Gula Melaka is simply divine.

When we freeze a flavoured syrup, it becomes granita (Italian) or granité (French). I have plenty of mandarin oranges, so I decided to make a mandarin orange and watermelon granita, serve with colorful fresh fruits: strawberry, green apple, papaya, mango, dragon fruit (also known as pitaya). To make the granita, I use equal amount of mandarin juice and watermelon puree, adjust the taste with some sugar syrup and lime juice, put in the freezer and freeze till it is solid, then scrape with a fork to form icy crystals. If you prefer a smoother texture, just repeat the scraping and freezing process a few times. I just came out from shower and I am sweating again. I can’t be bother to wait, gobbling it down before both the granita and I melt.

The more refine version of flavoured ice, usually using fruit puree as a base, is called sorbet. If you add diary products to the mixture, it becomes sherbet. Does star fruit sorbet with chili sound inviting? Yes indeed. It was one of the star dish during my dining experience at Frangipani restaurant. A great way of utilising local ingredients. There’s a saying in Chinese: to quench one’s thirst by looking at plums. Try looking at these ices for ten seconds. Do you feel cooler?

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