There is a whole range of Chinese sweet soups available. There are traditional favourites as well as new recipes popping up all the time.
My personal favourite, especially during hot stuffy weather is 清汤 (qing tang). It literally means refreshing soup.
It contains dried longan, barley, gelatin strips, cloud ear fungus and more. There are 2 versions: hot and ice cold. I like both and my choice depends on my mood and the weather. Too bad, I don't know how to make it myself.
As with most chinese soups, sweet soups are mostly simmered for a fairly long time for flavour.
These soups are great as summer low fat desserts. Most are light and refreshing. Some people I know HAVE to end off their meals with something sweet. What could be more ideal than a low-fat chinese dessert?
There are many chinese dessert stalls in Singapore. Almost all our hawker centres spot 1 or 2 dessert shops. They sell an assortment of sweet desserts mostly soupy offerings. Just look at this lightbox display of common chinese desserts offered by a dessert store in a food centre.
I have the recipes to a few of the items listed below:
This green bean soup is one of the most familiar sweet dessert in Singapore. It is also quite easy to make at home. Brew a pot to ease the discomfort arising from a hot summer.
The star ingredient is of course green beans. It has long been cultivated in China for it has both medicinal and nutritional value.
In traditional chinese medicine, green beans are considered cool and bitter. It is widely used for detoxification and to treat summer heat. People tend to perspire a lot during summer and drinking green bean soup is considered a great way to replenish fluids and trace elements lost through perspiration. It also promotes healthy urination and bowel movements, and is supposedly a good remedy for acne caused by a heaty constitution. Regular consumption is recommended during the summer months.
Green beans are also a popular sweet filling for asian pastries especially Japanese and Chinese. However, the process of cooking and grinding the beans into a smooth paste can be very tedious.
Incidentally, green beans are also used to grow bean sprouts.
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Red beans are generally used for detox and fluid retention. It is also known to encourage breast milk production. Red beans are suitable for women having their menstruation. It relieves cramps and together with the glutinous rice, warms the body.
Similar to green beans, red beans are commonly used in soups and congee or make into a sweet paste that become fillings for pastries and desserts.
This red bean soup recipe has only 2 ingredients. If you find this soup bland, you can add some brown sugar to taste.
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White fungus is also known as cloud ear fungus 白木耳 (bai mu er). This sweet soup is suitable for 1 year old and above.
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This is a recipe with a modern twist. It is good for the lungs, especially if you have a dry cough without phlegm and thirst.
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