At the end of blog #57 – ‘How to eat nutritious, delicious, and authentically well-balanced Cantonese meals‘ I promised to share my favourite Cantonese Tong Sui desserts.
As a child, I pestered Mum to make my all-time-favourite, Black Glutinous Rice dessert. Mum preferred her top choice, Sweet Beancurd soup, but alternated the family menu to enable us to enjoy various puddings like Black Sesame, Taro Sago (Tapioca), and Sweet Potato & Ginger tong sui.
How lucky were we!?
Without further ado, here are my top picks and recommended recipes.
Black Glutinous Rice & Coconut Milk dessert – is a common Asian dessert called tong sui, which, despite its slightly dense and textured consistency, literally translates as sweet water. Black glutinous rice dessert is a sweet dish made from black glutinous rice, also known as black sticky rice or purple rice. When cooked, the rice, with its chewy texture, offers a lovely bite! My favourite tong sui can be eaten warm or chilled. Personally, I love the former. For a simple step-by-step process, check out this recipe.
Sweet Beancurd soup – is a popular tong sui in Asia and my Mum’s favourite. Made with bean curd, Ginko Nut, water, eggs, and rock sugar, this is tasty and probably the most soothing dessert to end a meal. What’s more – eaten in moderation (as too much can be toxic), it is associated with several health benefits, including younger-looking skin, better circulation to warm the body, and tackling breathing problems (E.G. asthma). It is powerfully dense in nutrients, including iron, zinc, potassium, calcium, and copper, while having cholesterol-lowering properties. To make your own, I recommend this easy-to-follow recipe with photos.
Black Sesame tong sui – this black sesame soup is a popular Chinese dessert widely available worldwide. It is typically served hot using the main ingredients – black sesame seeds, rice, water, and sugar. Tang Yuan (dessert dumplings) is sometimes added to the soup. I have never made this from scratch. Instead, I’ve always bought black sesame soup in powder form and prepared it with hot water. For more adventurous, keen cooks, I found two recipes worth trying, here and here.
Taro Sago (Tapioca) tong sui – is creamy and rich with taro chunks. It is the perfect recipe for a cold night when eaten warm or a warm summer day eaten cold. The moreish pudding, loaded with pops of light tapioca pearls, is highly addictive! And, like many root vegetables, Taro is full of fiber, antioxidants, nutrients, and vitamins to support our physical health. The nutrients in Taro, an ingredient loved in Asia, are believed to delay the aging process. Check this recipe to discover more and try this delicious dessert.
Sweet Potato & Ginger tong sui – my usual go-to dessert is warming, full of goodness, and quick and easy to make. It uses only 4 ingredients and is a healthy alternative for those quick sugar cravings. All you do is peel, boil, simmer, add sugar, then enjoy it hot or cold. A bowl of hot sweet potato & ginger tong sui is satisfying, but I love having it cold for its thirst-quenching quality. I recommend this recipe link for comprehensively showcasing the humble dessert that is so tasty to eat, full of nutrients, and ever so simple to make.
