The literal ice cream sandwiches of Asia

These popular Asian sandwiches are scoops of ice cream served in between pieces of bread.

Ice-cream sandwiches are filling, sweet, cold treats for the middle of the day. Source: Getty Images

Ice cream in a cup? In a cone? Or on bread?

If ice cream sandwiched in between two pieces of bread sounds as cringey as cheese puffs dipped in the chocolate pudding (they're delicious, by the way), here's some food for thought – it's almost the same concept as eating ice cream with cake or waffles.

Street snacks

Sold as popular street snacks in humid Southeast Asia, ice cream sandwiches can feature ube (purple yam) or cheese ice cream in pandesal (soft bread rolls) in the Philippines. Meanwhile, they're known as ice cream loti, which are scoops of ice cream served on rainbow bread, in Singapore, and they're called khanom pang ai tiim in Thailand.

Not your average lunchtime sandwich... Source: Feast magazine

According to Palisa Anderson, second-generation restaurateur of Chat Thai restaurant chain, "Ice cream sandwiches are filling, sweet, cold treats in the middle of the day."

In Thailand, ice cream carts come when it's really hot and workers are taking their break. "Workers will typically line up in front of the ice cream carts after they've had their lunch."

The ice cream

A lot of ice cream used to be made of coconut milk alone. However, cow's milk is now added to coconut milk to cut down on costs.

"There are different flavours of ice cream available. Corn is sometimes added to ice cream," Anderson says. "There's also salim (thin mung bean shreds), pandan, toasted mung beans, red beans and taro. Or everything could just be mixed into the ice cream."

Fresh palm seeds and peanuts are typical toppings. "The peanut and palm seeds just provide a contrast to the texture. Peanuts give that fatty, creamy, crunchy mouth feel to the treat."

The bread

What makes the treat distinct is the bread, of course.

Anderson explains that in parts of Asia, the bread is usually a soft brioche or a common milk bun. In Thailand, ice cream sandwiches are typically served in hot dog buns.

"Hot dog buns aren't the same as they are here in Australia though," she says. "The buns are shorter and smaller, but they're used interchangeably for frankfurters and ice cream."

It's a treat for everyday people, an afternoon snack for kids after school. It's the food of the people.

To make an ice cream sandwich, slit the middle of the bun and stuff the ice cream inside using a paddle board.

"The bread serves as the foil of the ice cream. It absorbs the ice cream when it melts and it just makes it easier to eat."

And don't assume that it'll come with a spoon. "All you have is the sandwich and a really thin piece of tissue if you're lucky," Anderson laughs.

Nothing fancy

With a lack of spoons and only thin tissues at hand, ice cream sandwiches aren't meant to be "fancy".

"Ice cream sandwiches are affordable and they're filling," Anderson says. "It's a wonderfully cool treat and can be quite colourful. It's a treat for everyday people, an afternoon snack for kids after school. It's the food of the people." 

Although ice cream is commonly served with cake, bread is cheaper. "But then again, you can't really hold a whole cake in your hands, can you?"

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