Chilly season

There are few better ways to cool down in the sweltering summer months than digging into a frozen dessert, and one treat that has taken off is Taiwan-style shaved ice. It's so popular that neighbourhood restaurants are jumping on the bandwagon and offering them alongside traditional sweets such as red bean soup.

Commonly known as min faa bing or syut faa bing, literally cotton or snowflake ice, they're made using special machines that freeze flavoured milk or fruit juice and shave off downy layers that resemble sculptural displays. Unlike the usual shaved ices, the process creates a finer, more airy dessert that melts in the mouth. Its delicate texture, complemented by a variety of toppings, has made it a favourite with many young people.

'The usual shaved ices have a crunchy texture,' says Li Man-bun, founder of dessert chain Tong Pak Fu. 'For snowflake ices, they're fluffy, melt in the mouth and have a stronger flavour.'

Lai Kwok-cheung is arguably the first to introduce the treat to Hong Kong. He learned to make it in Taiwan and returned to open his Ice Club dessert shop in Yuen Long three years ago, with snowflake ice as its signature dish.

'There were none in Hong Kong at that time,' says Lai.

Ice Club quickly became a hit, attracting long queues and customers from outside Yuen Long. But it was not until sweet treats specialist Tong Pak Fu began promoting the dessert that Hongkongers developed a craze for them.

'Many desserts have been available for more than a decade and we wanted to bring in some new elements,' Li says.