What it is
Melon ice (哈密瓜冰) is a dessert served in its own fruit. A melon is cut in half, the seeds are removed and the hollow is packed with ice. Toppings go on top, and the soft flesh is scooped out with the ice as you eat. Fruit shops (水果店) and ice parlours sell it.
How it is made
The melon is halved and seeded. The cavity is filled with shaved ice or sherbet, which may be melon itself or another fruit such as passion fruit. Toppings vary by shop and flavour: small melon balls, scoops of fruit gelato such as mango or grape, or ice cream. Some shops add no sugar and rely on ripe fruit for sweetness.
How to eat it
Half a melon is a large portion, best shared. Eat the ice and the melon flesh together, scraping down towards the rind. Shops may offer more than one topping combination, so pick one when ordering. Some shops sell it only in certain seasons.
Around Taiwan
- Tainan
- Tai Cheng Fruit Shop (泰成水果店) on Zhengxing Street sells melon ice with no added sugar in winter and Irwin mango ice in summer. The shop dates from 1935 and moved from Hai'an Road when that road was widened.
- Central
- In Taichung, Haoshi Chengshuang (好事成霜) at the Second Market (第二市場) serves half a melon topped with ice cream.
