Stop laughing.
The city is home to China’s oldest and largest ice cream factory: Yi Min No. 1 Foods. Some of the local iced treats have been sticking to Shanghainese tongues for over half a century.
The most iconic Shanghai ice creams are available at supermarkets or convenience stores. So if you have last minute China travel deals in Shanghai, you should try to taste them.
For three creative ways to celebrate the city’s popsicle history in your own kitchen, click to the following page.
1. Classic Guang Ming ice cream cube
A block of vanilla ice cream wrapped in wax paper and cardboard may not sound appetizing, but chuck it in a bowl, add Sprite and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. The treat was first sold in 1950 and is still a mere RMB 2. Cost: RMB 2 at Alldays convenient stores
2. Neapolitan ice cream
Another old school favorite, “three color” ice cream was once a special treat with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla in one package. Gelato it's not, but pick it up for nostalgia's sake. Cost: RMB 2.5 at FamilyMart convenient stores
3. Green bean, red bean and cream popsicle
This one combines the three big Chinese sweet flavors (red bean, green bean, condensed milk) in one convenient pop. We call it chidou (red bean) pop 2.0. Forget the works: Sometimes there is nothing better than this ice stick of a popsicle to cool you down on a hot day. Cost: RMB 3 at Alldays convenient stores
4. Traditional saltwater popsicle
The most classic Shanghainese popsicle is made purely with salted soda, a local equivalent to Sprite. Get one of these from your local convenience store and be prepared to hear the cashier gasp that she's serving a real lao Shanghai which is always contained in China best tours. Cost: RMB 1 at Alldays and FamilyMart convenient stores
5. Hawthorn popsicle
We’ve all see Hawthorne (aka tang hu lu aka crabapples) on a stick. But the fruit's sweet and sour essence works well in popsicles, too. Relatively new to Shanghai, this ice lolly has acquired many followers, especially female ones, for its refreshing taste. Cost: RMB 3 at Alldays and FamilyMart
6. Green bean or red bean popsicles
A typical example of how Shanghainese turn food into ice cubes. These two, made with green bean soup and red bean soup, are an old-school favorite in Shanghai. The red bean version is sweeter and the green bean lolly has a minty kick. You can try the following method to make cold treats after your China tours.
Cost: RMB 1 each at Wangjiao convenient store, 77 Songshan Lu, near Huaihai Zhong Lu
Double chocolate and osmanthus cream pops
Makes 6-8 popsicles (quantity will depend on mold)
Ingredients:
For the double chocolate layer:
1 cup pre-packaged chocolate pudding
2 cups milk
20-30 grams of chocolate (preferably dark, about ? of a regular-sized bar)
Optional extras: instant coffee, cookie chunks, nutella, cinnamon
For the osmanthus cream layer (a modified crème anglaise recipe):
1 cup of full cream
? cup milk (optional, for a less creamy taste)
4 egg yolks
Osmanthus sugar (available at major supermarkets)
Regular sugar to taste, about a quarter or one-third cup
Method:
Prepare double chocolate layer:
Melt chocolate in the microwave by zapping it with 30-second increments of heat.
Add the chocolate pudding, milk and mix well.
Add any extras.
Prepare the osmanthus cream layer:
In a small saucepan or pot, heat the cream on low heat.
While cream is heating, whisk egg yolks and regular sugar together until smooth.
When bubbles begin to form at the edge of the cream, slowly trickle half of the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture -- don’t stop stirring.
Add the egg yolk mixture to the rest of the cream.
Make your popsicles:
Create alternating layers of chocolate and osmanthus cream.
Spoon the chocolate mixture or osmanthus cream mixture into your mold to create the first layer. Freeze for 2-3 hours until solid. Create the popsicle layer by layer (alternating as many times as you want) until popsicle molds are filled.
You should have thicker layers of chocolate and thinner layers of the rich osmanthus cream.
Eat!
Old school Shanghai saltwater popsicles with lemon
Ingredients:
Drinking water
Pinch of cornstarch (optional, for traditional “milky” color)
Dried lemon slices (available at any major supermarket in the dried herbal teas section, or make your own)
Optional fresh fruits -- use sweet, in-season fruits such as white peaches, de-seeded grapes or berries tossed with sugar
Sugar to taste
Several teaspoons of salt, to taste
Method:
Add sugar to a pot of hot (not boiling) water.
Slowly add salt, until the balance between the sugar and salt suits your taste.
Add one dried lemon slice for every two cups of liquid for a slight lemon flavor and remove the lemon after 5 minutes.
Add cornstarch if desired. Stir well.
Make your popsicles:
Tip: round molds work best for this.
Put a slice of dried lemon at the bottom of each popsicle mold.
Add about ? inch of popsicle mixture.
Now fill molds to the top with your popsicle mixture and add the fresh fruit.
You can also add 1-2 slices more of dried lemon, but any more and you’ll pucker up.
Eat!
Oolong tea and red bean pops
Makes 8 popsicles (quantity will depend on mold)
Ingredients:
Oolong tea
4 cups drinking water
2 cups red bean soup (red beans, water, sugar -- recipe below) or use red bean paste from your local supermarket
Honey, brown sugar or regular sugar to taste
Optional extras -- de-seeded jujubes, goji berries, preserved orange peel
Method:
Prepare the oolong tea:
Brew four cups of oolong tea using water, tea and sweetener (honey or brown sugar).
Add the extras if desired. Set aside.
Prepare the red bean layer:
Tip: you’ll need extra time to prepare the red bean soup. If you are using red bean paste, simply add water to taste until the red bean paste is at a balanced sweetness.
Soak ? cup of red beans overnight in water to soften.
Drain.
In a saucepan or pot, add your red beans, sugar and three cups of water. The red bean soup should taste a little sweeter than the oolong tea.
Bring to a boil -- add water for thinner soup or cook down for a thicker consistency.
Set aside.
Make your popsicles:
Create alternating layers of red bean and oolong tea.
Spoon oolong tea or red bean soup into your mold to create the first layer. Freeze for 2-3 hours until solid. Add in alternating layers until your popsicle molds are filled.
You should have thicker layers of oolong tea and thinner layers of the sweeter red bean mixture. Eat!
After reading how to make them, are you confident to make them by yourselves after your popular China tours.
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