Keelung Bubble Ice

Bubble Ice is a hand-stirred frozen dessert that has been a Keelung Miaokou original since the last century, made by whipping shaved ice together with condensed milk and toppings such as peanut paste until the texture turns smooth and airy. At an old stall on Ren-San Road, the cook's spoon spins rapidly inside a stainless steel bowl — shaved ice, condensed milk, and peanut filling go in, stirred in one direction, and in under 30 seconds the loose ice shards become a soft, airy mound resembling sorbet. A spoonful melts on the tongue as peanut aroma and condensed-milk sweetness burst through.

Keelung Miaokou today has three long-running Bubble Ice shops — Chen Ji, Shen Ji, and Yuandong — each claiming the longest history. Yuandong Bubble Ice opened in 1955 on Zhongsan Road, making it the oldest of the three; Chen Ji (No. 25 Ren-San Road, Stall No. 41 at Miaokou) has been in business for over 30 years, and Shen Ji has likewise operated for more than 30 years. All three still rely entirely on hand-stirring, a rare unmechanized dessert technique at Miaokou.

What is Bubble Ice?

Bubble Ice is a hand-made frozen dessert invented at Keelung Miaokou. The method involves combining finely shaved ice with condensed milk and toppings — peanut paste, kidney bean purée, strawberry jam, passion fruit, and others — then stirring rapidly in one continuous direction for about 30 seconds. Air is incorporated as the ice mixture expands in volume, and the texture becomes smooth and airy, somewhere between shaved snow ice and a slush. The finished Bubble Ice takes on a light-colored creamy appearance; a spoonful melts almost instantly in the mouth, releasing the filling's aroma. Unlike machine-processed shaved snow ice, Bubble Ice relies entirely on the stall worker's hand-stirring technique — the right force and speed determine the smoothness. It is a rare purely handcrafted frozen dessert at Keelung Miaokou.

Bubble Ice originated at Keelung Miaokou. It began appearing at Miaokou in the 1960s–70s and is named after the tiny bubbles that form in the ice mush during stirring. Both the Keelung City Government and the Tourism Administration official materials identify "Bubble Ice" as Miaokou's signature frozen dessert. "Shen Ji" and "Chen Ji" (Stall No. 41) are recognized as the two established old shops. The classic flavors are peanut and kidney bean; more recent additions include strawberry, passion fruit, taro, chocolate, and over ten other options — orderable as a single flavor or a mix of two. While shops in Taipei, Kaohsiung, and elsewhere have since tried to replicate it, the hand-stirred version at Miaokou is still considered the original — and in summer, nearly everyone visiting Keelung has one in hand.

How to eat it like a local

Local knowledge

Information compiled from the Keelung City Government Department of Tourism and City Marketing and large-volume public reviews, with sponsored content filtered out. Photos to be replaced with channel-exclusive material after Dio's on-site shoot.