Made in neighbouring Japan, kakigori is often confused with bingsu. The Japanese iteration’s base is made with just ice and water, allowing for a more refreshing spoonful. They’re most commonly topped with matcha powder and condensed milk, and are built in tall mounds. Kakigori often comes with mochi balls, fresh fruits and various other accoutrements. Give it a try at Sebastian Kakigori, Fuwa Kakigori, or Kumo Desserts in Melbourne; and Kakigori Kaiji or Dopa Donburi and Dessert in Sydney.

Originating from South Korea, this icy dessert has taken TikTok by storm. Made mostly of pillowy shards of ice and milk, bingsu is often served with sweet flavoured ice creams and chewy bites of tteok (glutinous rice cakes). Common flavours include green tea, red bean and strawberry. Other favourites mirror the country’s abundant summer crop – namely rockmelon and watermelon – as bingsu is best enjoyed on hot days. Keep an eye out for its distant cousin ‘hwachae’ on your next TikTok scroll. This treat uses whole ice cubes instead of shaved ice. Find heaped serves of bingsu like these ones at Old School Kafey in Sydney.

This Malaysian dessert literally translates to ‘bean ice’. Also known as ‘ice kakang’ or ‘ABC’, this chilled treat was designed to satisfy your sweet tooth and quench your thirst. It’s commonly served with beans, grass jelly, creamed corn, tapioca pearls (sago) and coconut milk. The earthiness of the beans complements its sweet Southeast Asian flavour counterparts, resulting in a soothingly balanced sweet treat.

This rainbow sweet treat is the Philippines’ national dessert. The name roughly translates to ‘mix-mix’, encouraging you to blend the varied colours and textures in your bowl. The recipe will vary between families and regions, but some common staple ingredients include evaporated milk, ube ice cream, chunks of leche flan, pandan jelly and, of course, shaved ice. If you’re in Melbourne, get your purple fix at Mama Lor, or head to Western Sydney to try authentic halo-halo. Calli’s Grill in Rooty Hill offers a large family-sized serving… which you can have all to yourself. We won’t judge.

Known by many different names, ice gola is the (not so) hottest street food dessert in India and across South Asia. These sweet treats often get confused for icy pops (as they’re served on a stick), but we promise – they’re still technically made with shaved ice. Shaped by a hand-operated compress and drizzled with a myriad of sugar syrups, these colourful treats are a quick and tasty way to keep cool in an Indian summer. Chill out at Desi Dessert Ice Cream in Sydney.