Bingsu and Korean desserts

Bingsu is Korea's signature summer dessert: finely shaved ice topped with sweet red beans, fruit, rice cakes, condensed milk or ice cream. Many shops now use frozen milk shaved into soft, snowy flakes. Portions are big, so two or three people often share one. Some cafes and dessert shops sell it year-round.

Patbingsu is the classic version, piled with sweetened red beans and often topped with chewy rice cakes, condensed milk or roasted grain powder. The sweet beans and icy flakes make a refreshing combination. Red beans in dessert may be unfamiliar to some visitors, but this is Korea's most traditional bingsu.

Scoop a little of the toppings together with the shaved ice as you go. Some people mix everything at once, while others prefer to keep the toppings separate. When sharing, each person usually eats from their own side with a spoon. It melts fast, so start eating right away.

Korean dessert cafes offer cakes, macarons, croffles, bingsu, cookies, financiers and much more. Trends change quickly, so new desserts appear all the time. Desserts using Korean ingredients such as injeolmi, black sesame and mugwort are especially popular. Many cafes are as famous for their desserts as for their coffee.

A croffle is croissant dough pressed and baked in a waffle iron. It became a big trend in Korean cafes, with a crispy outside and buttery, soft inside, often topped with ice cream, syrup or fruit. It has since become a standard dessert on many cafe menus.

In Korea, macarons with extra-thick fillings, nicknamed ttungkaron, became a major trend. They have far more cream than classic French macarons and come in playful flavors and designs, sometimes with cookies or snacks inside. They are quite sweet, so many people pair them with coffee.

Injeolmi bingsu tops milk shaved ice with nutty roasted soybean powder and pieces of injeolmi rice cake. Its toasty flavor is a good choice if you are unsure about red beans. It is one of the most popular modern desserts using traditional Korean ingredients.

Bingsu is best known as a summer treat, but many cafes and dessert shops sell it in winter too. During strawberry season in winter and spring, strawberry bingsu is especially popular. Menus change with the seasons and vary from shop to shop.

Several luxury hotel lounges in Seoul are known for premium bingsu, such as mango bingsu loaded with high-end fruit, which generates buzz every summer. It is pricey, but many people treat it as a special experience. Sales periods and prices vary by hotel, so check official information.

Korea has many distinctive ice creams, including fish-shaped ice cream sandwiches, melon-flavored bars and ice cream wrapped in chewy rice cake. They are easy to find at convenience stores and supermarkets, so trying several is a fun travel activity. Limited seasonal flavors appear often.

It depends, but in Korea saying a dessert is "not too sweet" is often a compliment. Desserts made with red beans or rice cakes tend to have a gentle sweetness. On the other hand, macarons and some cakes can be quite sugary.

Hodu-gwaja are small walnut-shaped cakes filled with red bean paste and walnut pieces. They are a famous specialty of Cheonan in South Chungcheong Province and are widely sold at highway rest stops and train stations. They taste best warm and come in gift boxes too.

Ppangji-sullye, a pun on bread and pilgrimage, means traveling to visit famous bakeries. Cities such as Daejeon, Gunsan and Gyeongju each have well-known bakeries that people travel specifically to visit. Popular spots can have long lines, so allow extra time.

Gyeongju-ppang and Hwangnam-ppang are specialties of Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province: small round cakes with thin dough and a generous red bean filling, stamped with a pattern on top. They are the classic souvenir to buy when visiting the historic city.

Korean desserts often feature red beans, roasted soybean powder, black sesame, mugwort, sweet potato, kabocha squash, yuja citron, chestnuts and jujubes. You will find these in lattes, cakes and ice cream too. They suit anyone who likes subtle, nutty flavors.

A standard bingsu is usually big enough for two or three people. More cafes now sell single-serving sizes too. Some cafes have a one-order-per-person policy, so check the notice at the counter. Bingsu melts quickly, so order an amount you can finish.

Korean desserts often contain milk, egg, wheat, tree nuts, soy and peanuts. Ingredients like soybean powder, black sesame or walnuts may not be obvious at a glance. If you have allergies, ask staff about ingredients, and check the labels on packaged products.

Dessert trends in Korea change incredibly fast, with new items taking off every few months. Salt bread has stayed popular, yakgwa has made a comeback, and Dubai chocolate had its moment before living on through spin-off desserts. Social media and cafe menus are the best way to see what is currently popular.

Yes, Korean convenience stores sell cakes, puddings, roll cakes and a huge range of ice cream. Chains compete by frequently launching their own new desserts. They are an affordable way to enjoy a sweet treat back at your accommodation. Browsing the new arrivals is part of the fun.

Records show that during the Joseon era, ice harvested in winter was stored in ice houses called seokbinggo for use in summer. Patbingsu as we know it is believed to have become popular in the modern era. It has since evolved into milk-based and fruit-topped varieties.