# Deep Fried Ice Cream - Chinese? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 11, 2002, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-ice-cream-chinese/136252 "2002-11-11T06:24:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tony\_Barber\_s\_Underwear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/58f4c7/32.png) [@Tony\_Barber\_s\_Underwear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Barber_s_Underwear)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-ice-cream-chinese/136252/1 "2002-11-11T06:24:49Z")
Most of the Chinese Restaurants that I have visited have featured very few dessert items on their menus. Deep fried ice-cream has, however, pretty much been ubiquitous. I understand that many of the dishes in chinese restaurants are not authentic, and that some chinese desserts may not be appreciated by western tastes, but I was wondering whether deep fried ice-cream has any connection at all to chinese cuisine. I noticed in another thread that deep-fried ice-cream is featured prominently in Mexican restaurants in the US. Could this be for a similar reason, ie. that there aren’t any really any ‘suitable’ desserts in Mexican cuisine? - Bubba. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-ice-cream-chinese/136252/2 "2002-11-11T06:47:13Z")
I very much doubt the authenticity of deep fried ice-cream. Until recently hardly anyone in China had refrigeration so they don’t go in for chilled deserts. Normally a Chinese meal ends with fruit for dessert. The Chinese like sickly sweet snacks but they are consumed between meals and on ceremonial occassions. There are actually some really good Mexican desserts but they are mostly pastries or cakes. I’ll look for my cookbook when I get home. ---
**Author:** ![SparrowHawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@SparrowHawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SparrowHawk)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-ice-cream-chinese/136252/3 "2002-11-11T06:54:21Z")
Hunh. I have never seen “deep fried ice cream” in a Chinese restaurant. When Mr. Hawk was in China, lo these 20-some years ago, he had “fried milk” for dessert. He says it had the consistency of tofu and was sweetened with almonds. A tenuous connection, at best. Other than that, fruit - mandarin oranges and lychee - was served. ---
**Author:** ![Mesquite-oh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@Mesquite-oh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mesquite-oh)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-ice-cream-chinese/136252/4 "2002-11-11T07:27:38Z")
This guy claims to have invented them in Hawaii 14 years ago when an ice cream cone accidently dropped into a pot full of pastry dough. [http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/specials/hawaii/726food.html](http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/specials/hawaii/726food.html) Here in San Antonio, I have never seen fried ice cream in a Chinese food restaurant. In addition, I have seen the dessert in only one Mexican restaurant in my entire life- so it is probably not a Mexican thing. As far as there being no suitable desserts in Mexican cuisine- you should try sopaipillas or bunuelos- they are pretty popular desserts here in South Texas Mexican restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-ice-cream-chinese/136252/5 "2002-11-11T08:10:55Z")
Chinese, when dining as Chinese, do not normally ingest chocolate or cheese (or much other dairy). The fact that a dairy product is available at a Chinese restaurant would imply to me that the local public has shown that it will buy it. Think Chop Suey. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-ice-cream-chinese/136252/6 "2002-11-11T08:12:28Z")
Fried icecream is frequently on the menu in various Chinese restaurants around my hometown in Australia, so this appears to be a wide-spread phenomena. ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-ice-cream-chinese/136252/7 "2002-11-11T08:34:44Z")
To elaborate on **Doug Bowe’s** post, the reason most Chinese people do not eat dairy isn’t necessarily by choice, but rather because the greater part of that country’s population is lactose intolerant. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-ice-cream-chinese/136252/8 "2002-11-11T11:35:59Z")
I’ve never seen it at a Chinese restaurant, but I have had tempura-fried ice cream at a tempura restaurant in Japan (Shizuoka city, to be exact). Yummy. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-ice-cream-chinese/136252/9 "2002-11-11T14:38:05Z")
“You do not see cream sauces or cheese dishes at authentic Chinese Restaurants”. – semiquote from memory of the opening chapter on lactose-intolerance in Marvin Harris’ book **Good to Eat** (AKA **The Sacred Cow and the Abominable Pig** ). I know we’ve had arguments about orientals and lactose intolerance on the SDMB before, but it seems to me that Harris is correct in characterizing traditional Chinese fare as dairy-free. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-ice-cream-chinese/136252/10 "2002-11-11T16:24:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sublight \* > \*\*I’ve never seen it at a Chinese restaurant, but I have had tempura-fried ice cream at a tempura restaurant in Japan (Shizuoka city, to be exact). Yummy. \*\* That jibes with my experience here in Jackson, MS. The local sushi restaurants and hibachi restaurants all serve tempura-fried ice-cream as a dessert. None of the Chinese restaurants do. A major Mexican food chain in my hometown of New Orleans has featured fried ice-cream as a dessert for many years. Haven’t noticed other Mexican places serving fried ice cream, though. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-ice-cream-chinese/136252/11 "2002-11-11T22:49:51Z")
[Chi-Chi’s](http://www.chi-chis.com/) had fried ice cream 20 years ago, at least. Even “authentic” Mexican restaurants I’ve been to in Toronto and New York have had it (although not all, I should note). Toronto has the largest Chinese poplulation outside of Asia, and in 20+ years of frequent patronage, I have never seen fried ice cream at a Chinese restaurant here. I spend a great deal of time in Tokyo, and I’ve never seen fried ice cream there, although I’ve hardly been to a stastically significant number of restaurants there. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Barber\_s\_Underwear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/58f4c7/32.png) [@Tony\_Barber\_s\_Underwear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Barber_s_Underwear)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-ice-cream-chinese/136252/12 "2002-11-12T00:07:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cazzle \* > \*\*Fried icecream is frequently on the menu in various Chinese restaurants around my hometown in Australia, so this appears to be a wide-spread phenomena. \*\* I am in Australia too, though, so maybe it is largley an Australian-Chinese restaurant thing. - Bubba. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-ice-cream-chinese/136252/13 "2002-11-12T13:08:34Z")
It sure as heck ain’t a Chinese restaurant thing. Not invented nor practiced here. I’m sure you can probably find it somewhere in China, but I have never seen nor heard about it. ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-ice-cream-chinese/136252/14 "2002-11-12T17:44:01Z")
Many chinese restaurants here in India also serve fried ice-cream. Most also serve honey-fried noodles, served with vanilla ice-cream. Yumm!! ---
**Author:** ![xicanorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a88e57/32.png) [@xicanorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xicanorex)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-ice-cream-chinese/136252/15 "2002-11-12T22:40:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by foxyboxer \* > I noticed in another thread that deep-fried ice-cream is featured prominently in Mexican restaurants in the US. Could this be for a similar reason, ie. that there aren’t any really any ‘suitable’ desserts in Mexican cuisine? You **ARE** kidding right? > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by chriscya \* > \*\*As far as there being no suitable desserts in Mexican cuisine- you should try sopaipillas or bunuelos- they are pretty popular desserts here in South Texas Mexican restaurants. \*\* And may I add: Flan Churros Arroz con Leche Polvorones Pastel de Tres Leches Leche Quemada Helados de Fruta Capirotada Empanadas These should be found on any good Mexican restaurant (maybe not buffet). Google on “Postres” and “Mexico” and you wil find more. XicanoreX ---
**Author:** ![nth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58956e/32.png) [@nth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nth)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deep-fried-ice-cream-chinese/136252/16 "2002-11-13T00:16:52Z")
Fried ice cream is not a chinese thing. Chinese copy it from the Japanese who copy it from who knows…??? Mexican’s copy it from who knows…??? Mexican fried ice cream is done different than Japanese fried ice cream. Chinese fried ice cream is similar to Japanese. I think Japanese invent it cuz they have the most unusual foods.