Let me relate to you what is probably the most unusual dessert I have ever had. Apparently this is a common and favored dessert in Singapore and in Southeast Asia in general. It is a dish that first struck me with humor, then surprise and disbelief, followed by skepticism, an apprehensive sampling, and finally appreciation and enjoyment...They have a dish here for dessert that is basically sweetened shaved ice. Kind of like a snow cone. It is a small mountain (or at least a large hill) of finely shaved ice piled up and shaped into a pointy mound -- maybe eight inches tall [20 cm]. The ice is so finely shaved so as to be almost fluffy in its texture. Ribbons of colorful flavored syrup are poured over the top and sides. The kind I sampled had bright lime green and an intense red syrup.
So far, it is very much like a snow cone. But there are other dessert condiments that get put on top to really make a memorable dessert. Poured over the sides of the miniature mountain are sweetened red beans (in a thick and sweet syrup), dark cubes of herbal jelly (a sort of thick jello flavored with chinese herbs), some other kind of sweetened beans that look like black eyed peas, and creamed corn. ... Yes. Green Giant creamed corn. You can see it in the picture here.
But it is all rather nice to eat. The ice is cool and refreshing. And all of the sweetened condiments work well toghether and add to the flavor of the dish. It is quite a good dessert, so if anyone is looking for new recipes for the stock of canned vegetables in your pantry, you can give this a try!
Alek
(in Singapore)
No comments:
Post a Comment