Grilled Ice Cubes Are Now A Specialty In China
Regarding bizarre food trends, China is one of the leading countries known to churn them out, so it's not surprising they have started grilling ice cubes. Here’s all we know about it.
A Chinese street hawker recently went viral after they were seen cooking ice cubes on a grill. In the stunning clip filmed in Changsha, Hunan Province, the unnamed hawker is observed tossing ice cubes on a makeshift skillet in a manner reminiscent of a grill meister. After the tossing, he can be seen dusting the super low-fat popsicle with chili, cumin, scallions, coriander, and other garnishes.
The clip even captures a customer trying the savory shaved ice. She described it as “spicy” and “interesting.”
The vendor claimed that this dish, which cost customers around $2, was a specialty from Northeast China. However, locals have debunked the claim.
According to a senior engineer at Harbin Standardisation Research Institute who drafts the management regulations for the certification of landmark food brands in Heilongjiang, a province in China’s frigid North, the dish simply did not exist — until now.
“There is no such thing as grilled ice cube snacks in the northeast,” he said. “This is a fabrication by the street vendor.”
“I’ve lived in the northeast for so many years, and I’ve never seen this dish,” a self-proclaimed native of the region said.
The exact origin of seasonings on the rocks remains disputed: Some believe these edible ice snacks can be traced back to 2021 in Harbin — ironically, the site of the Middle Kingdom’s renowned ice festival.
Images: Newsflarefocus
However, other Chinese culture fans on TikTok are adamant that it was a Changsha-based creation. Fried ice has become a famous dish regardless of origin, with multiple TikTok showcasing this street sorbet.
As the clips demonstrate, this icy sundae comes with everything from sesame seeds to cumin. It also comes in cubes, cones, and other shapes.
In an August Instagram post, Chinese culture site Radii tagged the icy-hot serving as China’s version of the “girl dinner.”
This refers to the trend in which primarily female TikTok users put together low-effort meals from leftovers and prepared foods rather than make something new from scratch.
Despite how easy the preparation looks, it apparently takes a lot of skill to whip up something that’s both hot and cold. According to the TikTok channel, Noodou, the trick is to use just enough fire to keep the ice from getting burnt.
They assured viewers that the ice would not easily melt because of its size.
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