Shaved Ice; you're a fool if you're not drooling.

The thing that I think about first whenever I start talking about food in Taiwan is the shaved ice.  It is in no way related to that neon stuff that they love in Hawaii, which don't get me wrong I love but in a totally different way.

Taiwanese shaved ice is fluffy and topped with fruit and condensed milk or some more traditional things such as red bean, mung bean, boiled peanuts, tapioca pearls, all sorts of chewy rice cake like things.  

My all time favorite is the Mango Ice from Ice Monster in Taipei.  Its only served when mangoes are in season and its topped off with a scoop of mango sorbet. The mangoes are ripe sweet, buttery and packed with flavor. They also have other flavors which are 

good but I only take that option when mango isn't in season.  The strawberry with mango sorbet was a good option as well as the combo with strawberry, kiwi, and mango compote. 

Since its summer every night market has shaved ice stalls which can be just as good and often with more topping options.  The best is when you can find xue hua which is shaved milk ice.  The texture is like catching a mouth full of falling snow during a blizzard. 

In NYC there use to be a good place in Flushing years ago but its gone now.  If you are desperate there is a stall in Flushing mall food court that isn't as good.  The texture of the ice is their main problem.  Its rough, grainy; not shaved ice but crushed ice. Total crap if you ask me but if you're desperate... I would have the Korean ice instead.  The Korean version, though not a fine shaving either, is available at most nice Korean bakeries and cafes.  In K-town recently went for a late night dessert fix at Koryodang and had the fruit flavored ice.  Don't get it.  Its strawberry jam from a jar with some fruit on top and this very bad strawberry ice cream like that of supermarket brands circa 1985.  In the past I've had the green tea version which was better.  

If I weren't so busy or lazy or both, I would whip out my panda bear shaped ice shaver at home and make my own.  Mangoes are almost in season.