Ice Gems, more than looks?

(Picture credits to http://www.oetker.co.uk/uk-en/rezepte/r/iced-gems.html)

Ice Gems may look simple, but its history and background prove otherwise.

These biscuits are small and round, of about 1.5cm wide in diameter, and topped up with coloured icing. They attract at first sight, and is one of many Singaporeans’ favourite childhood snacks. Ask any Singaporean on the streets whether they have eaten Ice Gems before and they would probably say yes. This iconic snack has been around for generations.

Many Singaporeans think that Ice Gems were created locally, but in actual fact, Ice Gems originated from Britain. According to a Straits Times article about this nostalgic snack, Ice Gems were an accidental discovery. Huntley and Palmer created the base of the biscuits in the 1850s, and the biscuits came out smaller than expected due to a biscuit experiment. The icing, however, was only added in 1910. Hence, Ice Gems became one of the smallest biscuits made by Huntley and Palmer.

Many Singaporeans have the misconception that Ice Gems are uniquely ours as we often refer to them as local old school snacks. In actual fact, Ice Gems are found in several countries across the globe, primarily Britain, Ireland, Australia, Malaysia and here in Singapore. Each country has their own variation of the Ice Gems, varying in colour and flavour. Singapore’s Ice Gems are generally brightly coloured, while overseas ones are duller in colour, or fruit-flavoured.

Even though all Ice Gems may largely look similar, but Ice Gems can be eaten in a few ways depending on the individual’s preference. Some are known to eat the biscuits first, leaving the icing behind to be relished at the end. Others would bite off the icing, only to throw the biscuits away (I find it such a waste though) and some would just gobble the whole biscuit down!

Ice Gems are relatively easy to make, with most of the process being mixing the dough, cutting the biscuits, and icing them. As the ingredients needed are readily available in supermarkets or wet markets, making them would not cost much.

However if you are after a more exquisite taste that adds elements of your childhood, you would definitely want to check out this café which offers something that would excite your taste buds. Hidden away in Bukit Batok, Beans & Cream is a quaint café that would offer you just that.

Beans & Cream serves the modern waffles with a wide diversity of ice cream flavours. Their ice cream are made with natural and wholesome ingredients, to give their customers quality and satisfaction.

This café might seem no different, but here’s the twist – every purchase at this traditional café will get you a complimentary cup of the nostalgic Ice Gems. This unique combination of ice cream and Ice Gems is unheard of and only found here in Singapore. When paired together, the two ingredients blend perfectly in our mouths.

Having said so much about this little delight, I am sure you are wondering the impact it would have to our wellbeing. Not to worry, Ice Gems are not just pleasing to the eye; they bear minimal risk to our health. According to an article in Women’s Health, this sweet treat bear little risk to our health. A 25 grams bag of Ice Gems contain less than 100 calories.

I guess we can all safely munch on this nostalgic snack while enjoying the National Day Parade this year.