Seasoned and Grilled on a Grid 'Hot Ice' Delicacy? Another Unique Snack from China Appears

Locals Claim "Manipulated Video"

A unique snack has appeared again in China. This time, it is 'grilled ice.'

Photo by Douyin, Chinese social networking service

The New York Post recently highlighted the popularity of the newly emerged grilled ice in China. Taiwan's Straits Times also reported that a grilled ice video on Chinese social networking services (SNS) received 26,000 'likes,' and the South China Morning Post stated, "Grilled ice cubes are becoming a popular street food in China."

Grilled ice is made by placing ice cubes on a grill and cooking them, then sprinkling chili, spices, green onions, cilantro, and garnishes. The price is 15 yuan, approximately 3,000 Korean won.

An influencer asked a grilled ice street vendor, "Should grilled ice be eaten when it's hot or after it cools down a bit?" The vendor replied, "You have to eat it right when it's hot." The influencer described grilled ice as "very spicy and delicious."

One merchant claimed that grilled ice is a specialty of the Dongbei region in China. However, a senior engineer at the Harbin Standardization Research Institute in China sharply denied this, saying, "There is nothing like grilled ice in the Northeast region of China," and called it "a fabrication by the street vendor."

Not only the claim that it is a specialty of the Dongbei region but also the very existence of grilled ice has been challenged. A Chinese person who identified as being from this region said, "I have lived in the Northeast for a long time, but I have never seen such a dish."