Sxusem (pronounced "s-khushem", with "kh" sound resembling the final sound in the Scottish word 'loch') or Indian ice-cream is a dessert made by native people throughout the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It is made by crushing the saponin-containing berries of the Canada Buffaloberry (Shepherdia canadensis). The liquid produced is mixed with equal parts of water and whipped with a whisk. This produces a foamy substance similar in texture to whipped cream. Traditionally this foam was eaten at larger gatherings with wooden spoons and children were known to play with the foam, sometimes throwing it at each other.
Pure Indian ice-cream is refreshing but quite bitter. Traditionally, it was eaten this way, with the occasional addition of mild sweeteners such as fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium), camas bulb (Camassia quamash) or sweet berries such as salal berries (Gaultheria shallon), or thimbleberries (Rubus parviflorus). Nowadays many people sweeten it with sugar.