This manually-operated ice shaving machine was used to make ‘ice-kacang’, a popular dessert in many south-east asian countries. A block of ice would be clamped in place. After which the lever would be released and turning the handle of the wheel would shave the ice.Ice-kacang literally means ‘shaved ice with beans’. The traditional ice-kacang usually contains ‘attap-chee’ (palm seed), red beans, sweet corn, agar agar and cendol which are jelly-like ingredients and the mountain of shaved ice is drizzled with condensed milk and other dressings. In the 1950s and 60s, when not as many choices of desserts were available, a bowl of ice-kacang was cheap and had an excellent cooling effect on a hot sunny day.
