Cendol (sometimes spelled Chendol) is a shaved ice dessert covered in jelly-like colorful toppings, coconut milk, and gula melaka (palm sugar syrup). Wikipedia feels the need to clarify that it contains “worm-like green rice flour jelly”, but we think the description sounds better without that detail. Although it is not inaccurate.
As we began researching this article, it quickly became painfully apparent that we ourselves had no idea what ice cream actually was. Unfortunately, it seems fairly difficult to define ice cream without sounding like a chemistry textbook, but we’ll try our best.
The first line of Wikipedia says that ice cream is a frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. This is certainly accurate, although us here at Ice Cream International often eat it as a main meal as well. But there are also gelatos, sorbets, custards… what is the line that separates them?
Continue reading “What Exactly is Ice Cream? (And what isn’t it?)”
