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1. Dessert soup
The Chinese don't mince words. Literally translated to "sugar water" (糖水）, there is an entire category of dessert dedicated to the dessert soup. And if soup is something that you feed the sick, then please sign us up for these the next time we get a cold! It's sometimes got fruit in it, so it's gotta be good for you, right?
Honeydew sago is usually enjoyed after a family dinner at a restaurant, especially if you have young children dining, as it doesn't have medicinal ingredients that could mess with a kid's development. It's so easy to make, too! Get the recipe here.
And if you're really wanting to say your dessert has health benefits, it's also a popular choice to include ginkgo nuts in your dessert soup.
Or this one made with papaya (believed to aid digestion), snow fungus, lotus seed, lily bulb, gingko nut, blanched almonds and tangerine peel.
Sometimes also served in the papaya. Because, well presentation.
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Healthy sweet congee
2. Steamed milk pudding
The Middle East has muhalbiyah, India has shree kurma, and the Chinese have shuang pi nai (双皮奶). A speciality of the Cantonese, a mixture of sweetened milk and cream is sometimes flavoured with ginger and steamed with egg whites to set. The result? A soft creamy curd the texture of the silkiest of tofu.
3. Herbal jelly
Made from a dried herb belonging in the mint family, this black jelly as a mildly (incredibly mild!) bitter taste that is usually masked by a sugar syrup. It's used in many sweet treats across the Asian continent, from drinks, to full-on dessert bowls topped with yam dumplings, glutinous rice balls, red bean paste, and sweetened evaporated milk.
4. Red bean...everything!
This humble little maroon bean is a major player in Chinese sweets. Usually boiled with a touch of sugar till it's soft and tender, the result is used in everything from soup...
To pancakes...
To glutinous rice dumplings, enjoyed during the mid-autumn festival! (Spoiler alert: it's happening later this month so get your rice dumplings while you can!)
5. 'Snowflake' ice
This Taiwanese speciality is similar to the Korean bingsoo, but usually made with frozen milk instead of plain ice.
Creative flavours include everything from milk tea, to watermelon and even durian (!), and the super-soft shavings melt quickly in the mouth to create an ice-cream-like experience.
6. Almond paste
Whether you call it a thin paste or a thick soup, this almond dessert is thickened with rice, and often enjoyed with its paste cousin - the black sesame paste.
7. Glutinous rice dumplings
Also known as tang yuan, these are most significantly enjoyed during the winter solstice and represents togetherness as a family. They range from the stuffed variety...
... to the colourful and downright fruity!
After they're made, these are usually boiled in sweetened water (sometimes flavoured with ginger or pandan, depending on where you're from) until they float. You can buy them in packets at Asian grocers, or if you're feeling adventurous, try making your own!
