After waiting for what seems like forever, the May Day holiday has finally arrived!
Every time a holiday comes around, friends from out of town ask me to recommend delicious food in Guangzhou. Upon reflection, the dish I recommend the most is—sweet soup!
Especially now that summer is here, when I can’t eat much, I rely on sweet soup to sustain me.
Sweet soup is not just a simple mix of sugar and water; it is sugar + water + everything.This “everything” can include fruits, grains, nuts, milk/coconut juice, dried goods, and herbs…The combinations are endless.The menu at sweet soup shops is so extensive that it can overwhelm those with decision-making difficulties; you simply can’t drink it all!
I have selected 5 classic varieties from the countless sweet soups available, to help you avoid pitfalls when dining out.
Making them at home is also quite simple and unlikely to fail; if you can’t go out, why not set up a sweet soup stall at home?
1
Red/Green Bean Paste
Always in the spotlight
This “two pastes” is not only the star at sweet soup shops but also the most commonly made by mothers at home.
When you need warm nourishment, drink red bean paste; when you need to clear heat and eliminate dampness, drink green bean paste, which covers the four seasons for people in Guangdong.
Anyone can boil beans, but people in Guangdong are particularly willing to put in the effort.
They soak thoroughly and simmer for a long time, ensuring that every bean blooms and becomes soft; for red bean paste, some beans are even ground and then put back to cook, resulting in a smooth texture.
There’s a clever trick for making it at home: freeze the soaked beans overnight, which expands the beans and breaks down the fibers, making them easier to cook.
Pairing is also important; red bean paste is usually paired with dried tangerine peel (chen pi), which has a strengthening spleen and regulating qi effect.On this basis, you can also add lotus seeds, lilies, chestnuts, etc.Click the image for the recipe of dried tangerine peel red bean paste
Green bean paste is much simpler to make; after soaking and freezing, just cook until they bloom, no grinding required.
However, the pairing can be quite bold; besides dried tangerine peel, it can also be paired with kelp and stinky grass.
Kelp adds a crunchy texture to the soft bean paste.
Stinky grass, known as “yun xiang cao” in Chinese, is a type of herb with a strong aroma and pleasant aftertaste, and is the soul of Cantonese green bean soup.
Dried tangerine peel, kelp, and stinky grass can be added individually or all together to maximize the clearing heat and detoxifying effects!
There is a shop on Donghua West Road called “Today Sweet Soup”, which includes all three ingredients, and the taste is very authentic; everyone should try it when they have the chance!
2
Double-Skin Milk
Thanks to the people of Shunde for inventing it
Double-skin milk is a pudding that is more suitable for Chinese babies.
It does not use any gelling agents like agar or gelatin; it relies solely on milk protein to naturally coagulate under the action of egg whites.
Unlike jelly, which is bouncy and can melt, it is soft and tender like steamed egg custard, with a smooth milky texture.
A thick, sticky milk skin forms on top, bursting with milky flavor!
If you come to Guangzhou, you can try it at Nanxin or Rose Dessert.
If you have time, take a detour to Shunde; Jinbang Milk Shop, Renxin, and Minxin are all worth visiting.
Good double-skin milk has two characteristics: 1. The milk skin is thick and wrinkled; 2. The milk pudding is firm enough to hold a porcelain spoon.
This indicates that the milk used has a high fat and protein content, resulting in a good coagulation effect.
Making it at home is also quite simple; just prepare milk, eggs, and sugar, steam them together, and you can control the sweetness.
The only thing to note is to choose milk with a high fat content; you can even use ice cream to make it.
You can also add toppings; sweet soup shops often garnish with red beans, lotus seeds, or taro paste, or fruits like mango and strawberries, and sometimes even ice cream balls!
Click the image for the recipe of taro double-skin milk
3
Ginger Milk
A good friend for women
Ginger milk is a close relative of double-skin milk, regarded as the ultimate health dessert by women in Guangdong!
In winter, when hands and feet are cold, in summer, when air conditioning is uncomfortable, or during menstruation when you can’t eat cold food… this is the perfect choice.
On a hot day, a bowl of sweet and spicy ginger milk warms you up, making you sweat lightly and driving away all dampness and coldness.
Ginger milk is also made without any gelling agents; ginger juice is placed at the bottom of the bowl, and heated milk is poured in, which coagulates after resting for a while.
The principle is that ginger protease reacts with milk protein, forming ginger curd.
Again, you should choose whole milk with high protein and fat content to increase the success rate.
The process of making ginger milk is quite interesting, like conducting a chemistry experiment, making it especially suitable for doing with kids at home!
If you come to Guangzhou, you can visit Shawan Ancient Town in Panyu, which is the origin of ginger milk; well-known shops include Shawan Milk Queen and Qinfang Garden.
Click the image for the recipe of ginger milk
4
Water Chestnut Delight
So delicious it has become a drink
Water chestnut delight is also one of the most beloved sweet soups in Guangdong.
Fresh water chestnuts are first smashed and then chopped into small pieces, cooked with lotus root powder or water chestnut powder, chilled, and it becomes a summer lifesaver!Teeth sink into the thick, smooth sweet soup, grabbing the crunchy, sweet water chestnuts, and the texture is simply delightful!
For an upgrade, add some egg flower, which is known as “ice flower” among locals, enhancing both flavor and nutrition.
I assure you, this sweet “egg flower soup” is not dark at all,
but incredibly smooth and fragrant!
In Chaozhou, we enjoy an even more sumptuous version of water chestnut delight, adding green beans and qingxin balls.
Green beans are peeled and have a soft, smooth texture.
Qingxin balls are made from a type of Chaozhou starch mixed with water into small balls, which are more translucent and chewy than taro balls.
In my memory, water chestnut delight is a sign of summer’s arrival; when my mother frequently makes it, it means the heat is here.
By the way, there is also a canned version of water chestnut delight in Guangdong, Yang Xie Cheng Water Chestnut Delight, which interested friends can try.
Click the image for the recipe of green bean water chestnut delight + ice flower water chestnut delight
5
Mango Pomelo Sago
A lifesaver in summer
Mango pomelo sago is likely the introduction to Cantonese sweet soup for friends from other regions.
The original internet celebrity, Xu Liushan, made this his signature dish, which was incredibly expensive back then, yet many people still enjoyed it.
Now, Xu Liushan has become a relic of the past, but mango pomelo sago remains a beloved treat for people in the Greater Bay Area.
Unlike other sweet soups that are straightforward, the ingredients are not explicitly stated in the name.
Mango pomelo sago has a poetic name; it is essentially a base of mango puree, with milk, coconut juice, and sago in the middle, topped with mango chunks and pomelo flesh.
The creator likens the fruit to “yang zhi” and the liquid to “gan lu”, combining to form the “yang zhi gan lu” from Guanyin’s jade bottle.
One sip is packed with vitamin C and banishes all summer heat, making it truly a lifesaver in the summer.
Besides drinking it directly, I have also made it into a mango pomelo sago cake, which highlights the layers even more.
When taken out of the fridge, the cool air carries a rich tropical fruit aroma, bringing the refreshing essence of summer!
Click the image for the recipe of mango pomelo sago + mango pomelo sago cake
Despite having tried many new-style milk teas, the traditional sweet soups still hold a special place on my palate.
Alright, today’s sweet delivery is complete; I hope you enjoy it too!