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Bingsu: All you need to know about Korea's sweet summer treat
A bowl of patbingsu, or Korean shaved ice dessert, topped with sweetened red beans, tteok (glutinous rice cakes), condensed milk and injeolmi (roasted soybean powder) / gettyimagesbank
By Kim Se-jeong
On steamy summer afternoons in Korea, there’s no better relief than a bowl of bingsu — a mountain of finely shaved ice made from water or milk, piled high with toppings like sweet red beans, fresh fruit, a slice of cheesecake or even gold leaf flakes. Once a simple treat, this dessert now ranges from traditional to ultra-luxurious, with flavors and textures as varied as the people who enjoy it.
History of bingsu
The story of bingsu can’t be told without first exploring the history of ice in Korea.
For centuries, people harvested ice from rivers in winter and stored it in insulated facilities to use in summer. In Seoul, the most notable storage sites were Seobinggo and Dongbinggo in what is now Yongsan District.
According to the “Gyeongguk Daejeon,” a legal code commissioned in 1458 under King Sejo of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), ice distribution was strictly controlled due to its scarcity. Only those who could present a special wooden certificate were granted access to ice. The royal family and court officials, including retired ones, were the primary beneficiaries. The ice was used to chill food and desserts and to preserve cooked dishes in the warmer months.
An illustration of a shaved ice shop in the July 18, 1917, edition of Maeil Sinbo / Courtesy of National Folk Museum of Korea
By the late Joseon period, ice became more accessible thanks to the commercial production of ice blocks. This contributed to the growing popularity of bingsu, a shaved ice dessert that arrived from Japan in the late 19th century.
An aristocrat named Kim Gi-su (1832-?), who traveled to Japan on a diplomatic mission, left one of the earliest recorded descriptions of bingsu in his 1877 book “Ildonggiyu.” He wrote that it was a “frozen syrup made by shaving ice into powder and mixing it with egg yolk and sugar.” He described the dessert as “shaped like a mountain and dazzling with colorful hues — sweet to the taste and cool to the senses.”
By 1900, a bingsu shop had opened in what is now Jongno District in Seoul, according to the Hwangseong Sinmun, a newspaper. By 1921, the Donga Ilbo reported that Seoul had more than 400 bingsu shops. The culture magazine Byeolgeongon highlighted bingsu as an essential summer treat, even listing some of the city’s most popular vendors and their menus.
An ice shaving device from the 1960s / Courtesy of National Folk Museum of Korea
Jeong Myeong-sup, author of “Taste of Koreans,” writes that Bang Jeong-hwan — pioneer of Children’s Day in Korea — was a devoted bingsu enthusiast. “His wife recalled that her husband ate 10 bowls of bingsu every day in the summer,” Jeong wrote in his book.
The bingsu of the early 20th century looked quite different from today’s versions.
“Unlike today’s patbingsu, which is made by finely shaving ice and topping it with various ingredients like tteok (glutinous rice cakes), sweetened red beans, condensed milk and roasted bean powder, bingsu back then was much simpler,” Jeong said. “They would simply shave ice, pile it into a bowl and pour strawberry syrup and assorted fruit syrup over it.”
The patbingsu we know today began to take shape in the early 1970s.
“Cultural and lifestyle historians attribute this shift to Koreans’ unique preference for textures with a bit of chew. Sweetened red beans offer not only sweetness but also a satisfying chewiness, which likely led them to gradually replace fruit syrups as the main topping,” Jeong added.
In the 1980s, bingsu moved from street carts into local bakeries. By the 1990s, franchise restaurants began serving bingsu that catered to changing preferences — often omitting red beans altogether and focusing instead on fruit-based toppings for those who didn’t enjoy legumes in their desserts.
gettyimagesbank
Varieties
Patbingsu is considered the most classic version, while fruit bingsu commonly uses shaved frozen milk as a base and is topped with fresh fruit. Irwin mango, also known as apple mango in Korea, is one of the most popular choices, followed by strawberries, peaches, grapes, melon and watermelon.
Some bingsu are named after their toppings. Heugimja (black sesame) bingsu, for example, features black sesame seeds and chewy sesame rice cakes.
Sulbing, a dessert cafe franchise specializing in bingsu, introduces even more elaborate offerings — from bingsu topped with cheesecake and yogurt ice cream in a melon shell to Dubai chocolate bingsu, featuring the viral kadayif, pistachio and chocolate combination.
Bingsu featuring apple mango is served at The Shilla Seoul, May 22, 2024. Korea Times photo by Park Ung
Most expensive vs. affordable
As bingsu became more popular, luxury hotels entered the market with ultra-premium versions aimed at well-heeled customers.
At the high end, The Shilla Seoul’s apple mango bingsu, made with premium mangoes sourced from Jeju Island, is priced at a staggering 110,000 won ($80) and has become one of its most buzzed-about summer offerings.
Four Seasons Hotel Seoul also plays in the premium lane, offering a classic patbingsu for 89,000 won and a Jeju mango version for an eye-watering 149,000 won ($109). These hotel creations often double as photo-worthy desserts for social media, while typical bingsu menus in local cafes seldom exceed 20,000 won on average.
This price divide has sparked some criticism, with detractors arguing that such luxury offerings exacerbate Korea’s existing wealth gap. Others defend them, pointing to the high quality of the fruit and ingredients and arguing that premium bingsu serves a different market altogether.
Cup bingsu
EDIYA Coffee's cup bingsu menus / captured from EDIYA Coffee's Instagram account
Not all bingsu will burn a hole in your pocket.
At the other end of the spectrum is cup bingsu — a single-serving version of the treat that’s more affordable and convenient. Traditionally meant for sharing, bingsu has evolved to reflect Korea’s growing number of solo diners.
Cup bingsu is most commonly found in franchise coffee shop chains, making it easier to grab a quick, icy treat.
Ediya Coffee sells four flavors of bingsu for just 6,300 won each. Mega Coffee’s patbingsu, priced at 4,400 won, is so popular that it is often sold out, especially after going viral on social media.