Ice kacang

 

Once upon a time, there was a machine called "ice kacang" machine. This machine can make children and adults of all age happy just with a simple dessert, shaved ice with syrup, that cost only 5 cents in the 1950's and 60's and those with more ingredients ( jelly, red beans and evaporated milk) was 10 cents per bowl .

Such a simple desert brings pleasurable memories to our generation, and even up to  this new era they still make the younger generation feel good and happy, especially on a hot day like these days where weather temperature is about 32 degrees Celsius, but including the heat factor, it feels more like 42 degrees C. Except nowadays there are more varieties and more expensive compared to our era in the 50's and 60's.

When I saw this machine posted in Heritage SG memories posted by Kevin Khoo, I remembered my late father used to own one too in his coffee shop. The shop was just right in front of the High Court in town along the walk way from kampong Air to Gaya street. 

When I was young, I used to help my parents look after the shop as early as 11 years old. I recall my father would put a block of ice on the shaver and then he clamped the block of ice tightly at the base plate of the machine before rotating the handle like wheel, which was on the right side of the machine to produce shaved ice, that ice was collected on the base plate. That time the shaver could only be performed manually. 

Due to those fond memories and experiences I had, I decided to buy this toy ice shaver gadget online for Rm23.50 😁

And started to make my DIY (Do it yourself) ice kacang😁

Red beans and jelly like I used to have in my younger days.

And covered with shaved iced made from my toy ice shaver.
Honestly, I was so excited to see the shaved ice coming out from my toy ice shaver😂.
Then I drizzle the shave ice with syrup and evaporated milk and start digging.😋
I finished it within minutes😅 and went for 2nd round😁

Hubby didn't want to be left out, so he created his dessert too, Vanilla Ice cream with chocolate kit kat and biscuits.

When we asked our grandson which would he prefer, he opted for the ice kacang 😂 and hubby's face went ☹️ hahahaha... 🤭 

Ice kacang without shaved ice, just ice cube taste equally yummy but with shaved ice its more  prettier and exciting to dive in for😋😁

Transferring my childhood beloved nostalgic treat of ice kacang to my 6 yrs old grandson 😂 

Even in this high tech era, where the younger generation like my grandson, are still keen to learn some of our old ways and skills. I was surprised that when I bought this toy shaved iced gadget, it lit up the eyes of my grandson, making him so excited and happy and what more, looking forward for another session of ice kacang activity 🤭 

Grandson concentrating seriously on his task to get shaved ice😂

But he preferred ice balls more, which was just shaved ice and red syrup. He too had his 2nd round of ice balls😅

While me, I preferred the original ice kacang that consisted of shaved ice, red beans, jellies and drizzle with red syrup and evaporated milk 😂 

When I posted this to my friends, many started to reminisce about this popular dessert in our era of the 50's and 60's.

One of my friends Peter, reminisced about his fond memories of buying a small bowl of ice kacang in Gaya street market stall for 10 cents in the 60's. A simple ice kacang in a small bowl that has sweetened red beans and jelly,  covered with shaved ice and drizzled with red syrup. 

I shared the same fond memories of these dessert , probably we had bought from the same stall. I remember there was an old lady who sold these sweets helpings in her small stall at the Gaya Street wet market.

Again when i was young, I walked to this market which took me about 7-10 mins. Towards the end of the walkway there was a Cathay cinema of the left side and facing the cinema was the big Gaya Street Market.

Memory map of my morning walks to Gaya Street Wet Market to help my parents do the marketing errands each morning during school holidays😅

Another friend Christine, shared her childhood experiences of buying ice-baĺl for 5 cents from a stall on the street before cycling to her school. It was just a simple impacted shaved ice with additional red syrup all over it.

I was pleasantly surprised that my grandson showed an interest in helping me make the various varieties of this old dessert, he enjoyed eating it as much as I did.

Reference

Ice balls

Ice Kacang

Ice kacang macine

Heritage SG memories