I HAVE FOND memories of Milo ice cream in cups from childhood—its flavour made complete by the taste of the wooden spatula that came with it. But how did ice cream come into being?

Food historian Sarah Wassberg Johnson said that it is tough to pinpoint the origin of ice cream. [1] There is a reference to people in China around 200 BC eating a combination of milk and rice, frozen in the snow. [2] Persians were making sharbat, a dessert made of water, sugar and flavourings in the 11th century AD, which is probably the closest ancestor to ice cream and the origin of the word “sherbet”.[3]

The introduction of ice cream in Malaya is primarily attributed to the Cold Storage Company Ltd in 1923. The company started a milk and ice cream department first in Singapore and then Kuala Lumpur before teaming with Manila-based San Miguel Breweries to form Cold Storage Creameries Ltd in 1937. [4] Previously marketed under the Paradise trademark, their ice creams were rebranded as Magnolia that year.

After World War II, ice cream hawkers spread across Malaya, and by the early 1950s, Western-style milk bars had become available at popular social spots in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Today, Malaysians can enjoy ice cream of various flavours and forms due to its highly accessible nature—from affordable Wall’s, Magnolia and ais krim potong variations to international ice cream parlours like Baskin-Robbins and Häagen-Dazs.

Investing in Ice Cream Making

While we are all (probably) familiar with these household names, I would like to turn your attention to handcrafted ice cream which are blossoming in Penang, providing locals and tourists with the experience of ice cream infused with local flavours.

More than five years ago, Genevia Chin, founder of Wonkie (formerly Three Tiers ice cream), gained interest in starting a food and beverage (F&B) business. Homemade ice cream amalgamating unique flavours piqued her interest; and before long, she started looking for ice cream recipe books, doing research and development to make ice cream—with alcohol. After returning to Penang, she worked part-time in a cafe before selling handcrafted ice cream to friends, family and at Hin Pop Up.

Creating weird and quirky flavours is Genevia’s favourite thing when making ice cream. She has tried adding wasabi, Bloody Mary and bak kua (dried pork meat). Her customers also suggest she incorporate savoury flavours such as bak chang (sticky rice dumpling), barbeque chicken and lemongrass barbeque chicken.

One of the most challenging tasks is quality control; maintaining a satisfactory serving temperature and optimal temperature of the production room in a hot and humid country requires extra care. The start-up cost is also quite high, with ice cream machine prices tagged as high as RM 100,000.

Despite hardships, Genevia strives to be creative, and hopes to add new flavours, such as tuak (rice wine), to her ice cream. Ultimately, she hopes to build a community of people who love making, selling and eating ice cream through workshops and taste tests.

Creameal Handcrafted Ice Cream along Jalan Gurdwara is another handcrafted ice cream shop. The shop is run by Foo Siang Beng. After 20 years in F&B as a chef specialising in Mediterranean cuisine and acquiring skills in making pastry and ice cream, Foo noticed a handcrafted ice cream trend while working in Singapore.

Foo and his wife took a leap of faith to return to Penang to open Creameal along Jalan Phuah Hin Leong in December 2016. They served Western food, all-day breakfast and six flavours of ice cream. But after realising that his customers preferred ice cream, Foo decided to make handcrafted ice cream his selling point before relocating his business to Jalan Gurdwara in September 2017.

He refused to use ice cream powder in making ice cream, although it costs less and will ease his job; he wanted to make handcrafted custard-based ice cream, which requires a mixture of milk, cream, sugar and flavouring (such as tea) to be pasteurised first. Egg yolks are blended and added to the mix for a smooth finish. The mixture is then stirred and pasteurised again. After chilling overnight, it gets churned in the ice cream machine for 18 to 25 minutes. It takes another long freeze before it is ready to be put on sale.

For Foo, the challenge he faces lies in the rapid rise of the cost of food ingredients. Then, there is also a lack of manpower.

However, this setback is not slowing Foo down as he enjoys creating unique flavours and interacting with his customers. He and his wife have created ice cream flavours such as BlackPink, Pei Pa Koa (cough syrup) and Mango Sticky Rice.

Artisanal Desserts Promoting Local Flavour

Ice cream is a natural hit in Penang, thanks to the heat (pun might be intended), but much has evolved since the days of simple ice balls soaked in syrup, and ais kacang (which is still very much celebrated). Though the vanilla and chocolate variations are considered the basics at any ice cream parlour, many desire a taste of quirky, locally inspired flavours—for example, spot the line that forms along Hema Hema (an artisanal ice cream shop along Lebuh Campbell) during operating hours.

I wonder if these flavours can be imported to other countries, as a new type of cultural diplomacy where Penang’s unique flavours promote the sharing of traditions and worldviews. They could also be a window to what Penang increasingly offers in terms of delicacy. After all, it would be more logistically sound to transport Laksa ice cream than a bowl of spicy fermented fish soup.