Taiwanese Mango Shaved Ice (Xue Hua Bing)

About This Recipe

Taiwanese Mango Shaved Ice is a real, traditional Taiwanese dish, known as Xue Hua Bing. Delicate ribbons of milk-based shaved ice piled with fresh mango cubes, mango sorbet and condensed milk drizzle.\n\nXue hua bing, or 'snow ice', developed in Taiwan in the 1990s as a finer, creamier evolution of traditional shaved ice, using flavored milk blocks shaved into silky ribbons rather than crushed ice, and mango became its most iconic topping thanks to Taiwan's prized summer mango harvests.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Taiwanese home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400 mlwhole milk
• 100 mlheavy cream
• 3 tbspsugar
• 2 tspunflavored gelatin
• 3 tbspcold water
• 3ripe mangoes(diced)
• 4 scoopsmango sorbet or ice cream
• 4 tbspsweetened condensed milk
• 2 tbsptoasted coconut flakes(optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Bloom the gelatin

   Sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let bloom for 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Warm the milk

   Gently warm milk, cream and sugar in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves, without boiling.

3. 3

   Combine and set

   Stir the bloomed gelatin into the warm milk until fully dissolved, then pour into a shallow metal container and freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight, until solid.

4. 4

   Shave the ice

   Using a shaved ice machine, shave the frozen milk block into fine, silky ribbons; if no machine is available, pulse the frozen block in a food processor to a fine snow.

5. 5

   Assemble

   Pile the shaved milk ice into a bowl, top generously with diced fresh mango.

6. 6

   Finish

   Add a scoop of mango sorbet, drizzle with condensed milk, and scatter toasted coconut flakes on top if using.

Variations

• •

  A strawberry version swaps mango for fresh strawberries and strawberry sorbet.

• •

  Add mochi bites or red bean for extra texture, common additions at Taiwanese dessert shops.

• •

  A matcha version uses a matcha-milk base instead of plain milk for a different flavor entirely.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions