Unusual Desserts: Indulge Your Palate with These Two Winter Chinese Sweet Soups

These soups usually feature a balanced sweetness combined with traditional herbs and spices, making them a healthier alternative to, say, a warm, buttery almond croissant.

Soups for desserts might seem unconventional from an outsider's perspective, but they are a beloved way to enjoy sweets while also providing comfort for the soul in China. Winters can be harsh and unforgiving in China, so sweet gruels offer warmth but also nourishment and fulfill the craving for something sweet. These soups usually feature a balanced sweetness combined with traditional herbs and spices, making them a healthier alternative to, say, a warm, buttery almond croissant. Many of the ingredients used in these soups are added with the intention of offering additional benefits, such as giving a healthy complexion, enhancing hair health, and providing a protein boost.

Here are two traditional Chinese sweet soups that are typically eaten in the winter, and you can try recreating them at home too. Some ingredients may be hard to procure or expensive, but have chosen to share recipes with elements that will already be in your pantry or readily available at your local supermarket.

Black Sesame Soup

This dessert is popular in southern China and Hong Kong, and is known for its benefits such as supporting kidney function, aiding digestion, and promoting healthy hair. Black sesame seeds are packed with essential nutrients like calcium, magnesium, copper, manganese, and iron.

Ingredients:

• 1⁄2 cup of raw black sesame seeds
• 5 1⁄4 cups of water
• 1⁄2 cup of rice flour
• 1⁄4 cup of rock sugar (substitute with regular sugar, if unavailable)

Instructions:

• Heat a pan but ensure that it’s not smoking. Then toast the sesame seeds till they are fragrant and pop. Then transfer into a tray and let them cool.
• Once cool, grind the seeds along with ¼ cup of water, till you get a smooth paste. Create a smooth slurry with the rice flour and a little water.
• In a saucepan, heat the water and add the rice flour slurry. Keep stirring to prevent lumps.
• Crush the rock sugar in a mortar and pestle or your blender, then add it to the saucepan along with the sesame paste.
• Keep stirring till all of the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to resemble a thick soup.

Walnut Soup

The soup is creamy, rich, and vegan because of walnut and rice flour. Walnuts, with their omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, are beneficial for gut health, cognitive well-being, and protection against cancer.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of raw walnuts
• 1 ½ tbsp of rice flour
• 1 tbsp of oil
• 2 ½ cup of water
• A pinch of salt
• ¼ cup of brown sugar

Instructions:

• Wash the walnuts thoroughly and pat them dry with a kitchen towel.
• Roast them in a pan or a parchment lined baking tray in a preheated oven at 320 F for 10 to 15 minutes. Set some aside to use as garnish.
• Once the walnuts have cooled down, blend them along with the rice flour and oil.
• Next, add ½ cup of water and blend until you achieve a smooth paste. Continue by adding the remaining water and blending once more.
• Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or a muslin cloth and transfer it into a saucepan.
• Combine the salt and brown sugar with the uncooked walnut soup, and heat the mixture in a saucepan.
• Keep stirring to prevent the formation of lumps and ensure even cooking. Bring it to a boil over medium heat.
• That's it! Garnish them with roasted walnuts and enjoy the soup warm.

Taro and Sago Soup

This soup can develop a thick and goopy consistency if left overnight in the fridge and consumed cold during the summers. However, in the winters, people often prefer to enjoy it piping hot.

Ingredients:

• 7 cups of water
• ½ cup of sago (sabudana or tapioca pearls)
• 4 cups of taro (arbi)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup of chopped sweet potato
• 1 can of coconut milk
• ½ cup condensed milk (reduce the amount if you want)
• ½ tsp of salt

Instructions:

• Soak the tapioca overnight for easy cooking. Boil them in water for about 15 minutes until you see a white center and they are slightly squishy. Drain and rinse off the starch.
• Chop the taro into bite-sized pieces and boil it with 7 cups of sugar for approximately 20 minutes or until the vegetable is tender. Reserve at least 1 cup of uncooked taro for later.
• Mash the taro with a handheld immersion blender until you achieve a smooth soup.
• Add the chopped sweet potato and taro pieces to the soup. Simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring to prevent vegetables from sticking together.
• Stir in coconut milk, condensed milk, and salt. Cook for about 3-5 minutes.
• Add the drained sago. If the soup has thickened significantly, add a cup of boiling water.