But the local kinds didn’t arrive in neat cones. It came frozen in plastic tubes, sliced from solid slabs, hand-packed into shaved ice balls, or tucked between soft bread already collapsing from the cold.
These weren’t just desserts. They were rituals – eaten roadside, on school benches, or around a motorbike freezer mid-bell.
In that spirit, here are five icy treats that feel unmistakably Malaysian, giving you the chance to eat these delightful creations for today’s breakfast!
ABC (Ais Batu Campur)
ABC, or ais kacang, is Malaysia’s most exuberant shaved-ice dessert. Its roots trace back to early 20th-century Malaya, when hand-cranked shaved ice topped with red beans was sold by street vendors.
By the 1940s and 1950s, it evolved into the colourful creation known today – layered with syrup, attap chee, sweet corn and condensed milk, becoming an affordable favourite across communities.
ABC isn’t a grab-and-go treat. It belongs in hawker centres and kopitiams, ordered when the afternoon heat peaks. Served towering in a metal or plastic bowl, it begins melting instantly.
Half the joy lies in the ritual – choosing where to dig in, and watching the vendor shave ice on that iconic green machine.
Ais Krim Potong
Long before boutique gelato counters, ais krim potong was being frozen in rectangular metal canisters and sliced into thick blocks for waiting customers.
The name literally means “cut ice cream”, a reference to how the frozen slab was traditionally lifted out and portioned with a knife before being wrapped in paper or plastic.
Early street versions were simple mixtures of milk, sugar and flavourings, frozen in moulds rather than churned into airy soft-serve.
Over time, what may once have felt like a small indulgence became a staple of kopitiams, pasar malams and even holiday souvenirs in certain states.
But the ritual remained the same: freezer lid up, slab out, clean slice through a solid block – and that unmistakable rectangular silhouette in your hand.
Air Batu Malaysia
Frozen inside thin plastic sleeves, tube ice cream – or air batu Malaysia – is one of the country’s most informal frozen treats.
Usually homemade, flavoured liquids (milk-based or syrup-based) are poured into narrow tubes and frozen upright in batches. Chocolate, rose syrup and orange were common, but the cult favourite was always asam boi.
You didn’t buy it from a branded freezer. You rang an aunty’s gate bell and waited as she lifted the chest freezer lid in her house to reveal neat rows stacked like treasure. It was a small-scale, word-of-mouth business.
Today, you’ll still find them in sundry shops or make them at home. Bite the top, squeeze from the bottom, and race the melting drip – messy, cheap, and pure childhood nostalgia.
Ais Kepal
Long before towering dessert bowls, there was the humble ice ball – likely the predecessor of ABC. Shaved ice is tightly hand-packed into a sphere, then drenched in bright syrups, sometimes finished with condensed milk or extra toppings.
Once a common sight outside school gates and at pasar malams in Penang and Melaka, it was among the most affordable treats for school children.
In Melaka, stalls like Ais Kepal Milo Tg Kling in Tanjung Kling still draw crowds for their generously soaked versions.
Up north, Ais Kepal Payung in George Town keeps the old-school format alive, proving this simple, hand-held dessert still holds its charm.
Roti Aiskrim
The ring of a bell, a motorbike stopping, a freezer lid lifting – roti aiskrim is as much about anticipation as taste. Once, it sent neighbourhood kids running out of their homes toward the pak cik with his cold treasure.
A slab or scoop of ice cream is tucked between soft white bread, usually roti Bengali, folded quickly and handed over before it melts.
Born from street-vendor culture, it suited Malaysians who ate on the move – often standing roadside, sharing bites with friends.
Cheap, quick and satisfying, it was a favourite among children and labourers in the 70s and 80s. Today, it still thrives. Some vendors, like Roti Aiskrim Kelapa with Pulut in Kampung Baru, have been serving it for over 40 years.