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Last week, we discussed about how fantastic Indian cuisine was. For now, we will be focusing on Chinese desserts and share to you readers about the mouth-watering and fascinating
yet simple Chinese desserts.
This time, we will be kicking off with one of the most famous desserts which is the Tang Yuan. Tang Yuan
means re-union and is a
Chinese dessert made from glutinous rice flour mixed with water that is shaped into little
balls and then served in sweet liquid. Nonetheless, Tang Yuan is a 'must-to-be-eaten' dish during Yuan Xiao, which is also known as the Lantern Festival, Winter Solstice Festival that is called Dongzhi in Mandarin, and also on
pre-wedding days for those who are getting married. Moreover, in this 21st
century, Tang Yuan is created using different fillings. Besides, some people still make their
own dough during Winter Solstice Festival as it consists of only three simple ingredients and can be done easily.
Glutinous rice flour, water and oil are mixed together to form the
dough which is then rolled into little round balls and added into the sweet liquid. Different types of filling can be used according to the liquid or soup used such as chocolate,
peanut, red bean paste, or sesame paste.
Coming up on the menu is a traditional sweet
potato soup cooked with ginger which is beneficial and healthy as ginger contains
nutrients that help to keep our body warm, eliminates digestive problems,
reduces pain and so forth. Even though the texture of the soup is light, it has a strong tangy taste due to the combination of sweet
potato and ginger. Moreover, it is quite easy to prepare this soup at home. Firstly,
peel the sweet potato and ginger, and then dice it into small cubes. Later,
depending on how sweet is the soup wanted, add in white rock sugar and Pandan leaves accordingly. Let it boil for about 15 to 20
minutes or until the potato are soft enough.
Third on the list is one of the most traditional and popular Chinese desserts,
which is the red bean soup. Red bean soup can be served either hot or cold according to the seasons. It is a sweet soup that has different tastes as the
result of the mixing of sun-dried tangerine peels, sago, lotus seeds and white
rock sugar. Sago and lotus seeds are also frequently found in other Chinese
desserts to thicken the texture of the soup. Red bean soup can also be turned
into a drink called “hong dou bing.”
It is made from red bean soup, sago and ice, and originates from Hong Kong.
Lastly is the Nian Gao which is another dessert eaten during Chinese New Year and DuanWu, also known as the Dragon Boat festival. Nian Gao is made from glutinous rice so the overall texture is a little sticky. The word Nian
means ‘gummy’ and Gao means cakes,
but it also means tall. Therefore, the Chinese believes that eating Nian
Gao during special occasions signifies that you are raising yourself higher
in everything you do each year and hoping for a good life ahead of us in the future.
There are many more varieties of delicious and unique Chinese desserts which are really amazing and these are the most popular and iconic ones that we have chosen to share with you, our readers now. Please stay tuned as we strive harder to bring you even more tasty and succulent dishes next week.
Ellen L. (8
September 2013) Red Bean Dessert Soup. Retrieved
10 November 2015, from
Foo, Jasmine.
(2013) How to Cook Potato Sweet Soup
(Chinese Dessert). Retrieved 10 November 2015, from
Wong, Sharon. (19
February 2015) Lunar New Year: Try This
‘Nian Gao’ Recipe. Retrieved 10 November 2015, from
Wiffy. (24
February 2013) Homemade Tang Yuan. Retrieved
10 November 2015, from
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