Keelung Bubble Ice | Keelung Signature Dish

At Stall No. 41 on Ren-San Road at Miaokou, Chen Ji's spoon spins rapidly inside a stainless steel bowl. Shaved ice, condensed milk, and peanut filling go in, stirred in one continuous direction. In under 30 seconds, what was a loose pile of ice shards transforms into a soft, airy mound of ice mush resembling sorbet. A spoonful into the mouth: the ice melts on the tongue, peanut fragrance and the sweetness of condensed milk bursting in the mouth. This is the Miaokou original that has existed since last century — Bubble Ice.

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

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Start with peanut flavorPeanut is Miaokou Bubble Ice's signature flavor — the aroma is richest and best illustrates the difference hand-stirring makes.

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Try a two-flavor mixPeanut + strawberry, or kidney bean + passion fruit, are popular Keelung combos — the layered sweet-savory or sweet-tart contrast adds depth.

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Eat quickly before it meltsBubble Ice becomes a puddle once it melts, losing all its smooth texture. Finish it within 3 minutes of receiving it.

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Take small bitesThe texture is dense and cold — it will numb your mouth if you rush. Small spoonfuls at a leisurely pace are much more enjoyable.

Local knowledge

Verified references (no sponsored content)

The Keelung City Government and the Tourism Administration both officially identify Bubble Ice as Miaokou's signature frozen dessert.
Chen Ji (Stall No. 41) and Shen Jia are the recognized benchmark old shops at Miaokou.
Peanut and kidney bean are the acknowledged classic base flavors.

Practical tips

Summer weekends have long queues; weekday evenings are more relaxed.
Frozen desserts melt fast as takeaway — eating on-site is recommended.
The dessert is quite sweet and dense; those managing blood sugar should be mindful of portion size.

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.

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