Invented in 1984 in Lei Garden’s Singapore branch, mango pomelo sago is a refreshing summer dessert made with mango, pomelo, sago, whole milk or evaporated milk, and coconut milk. Apart from Hong Kong, the dessert is also popular in Singapore and Taiwan.
Sago pearls (also known as tapioca pearls) in coconut milk are a type of Cantonese tong sui (lit. sugar water; dessert soup). This simple treat can be found in many dim-sum eateries in Guangzhou and Hong Kong, where it is served as a perfect ending to a meal. Also, for a refreshing summer dessert, sao mai lo is often mixed with fresh fruits like mango, pomelo and strawberries.
The smooth, velvety zhi ma hu or black sesame soup is a variety of Chinese tong sui (lit. sugar water), a dessert soup commonly enjoyed for breakfast, after meals, or served for teatime accompanied by dim sum, the traditional Cantonese bite-sized tea snacks. Particularly popular in southern China and Hong Kong, this dessert boasts numerous health benefits, thanks to the extremely nutrient black sesame seeds which are rich in vitamin B, magnesium, calcium, manganese, and iron. Zhi ma hu is known to improve digestion, kidney function, prevent gallstones, and reduce blood fat. The Chinese also believe that it helps to darken and strengthen hair. A simple but elegant dessert, black sesame soup is not only pleasing to the eye, but an amazingly fragrant mélange of earthy and nutty flavors with a distinctive peppery finish.
Tangyuan is a traditional dessert consisting of glutinous rice flour balls, which are soft and chewy, and can be either small and plain or larger with fillings. The fillings vary but commonly include sweetened black sesame, peanut, red bean paste, or even fruit fillings. Tangyuan can be served in a thin sweet soup or broth, which can be flavored with ginger, osmanthus flowers, or simply a clear sweet syrup. It is often served during the Lantern Festival, which marks the end of Chinese New Year celebrations. The dish symbolizes family unity and happiness, as the round shape of the tangyuan is associated with completeness and togetherness. Eating tangyuan during the Lantern Festival is a way to celebrate family reunions and the beginning of spring.
Red bean soup is a classic Chinese soup that is commonly consumed as a dessert, made from red azuki beans, lotus seeds, and tangerine or orange peel. The soup isn't too sweet, and has a subtle sweetness instead, ideal for rounding off a large Chinese meal. Red bean soup can be served hot in winter or cool during summer. Dates, sago, longan, and coconut milk can all be added in the preparation of this soup, which is considered to be one of the healthiest soups in China because it is rich in vitamins, boosts immunity, and helps against constipation.
Yin er tang is a sweet dessert soup starring translucent, gelatinous snow fungus slowly simmered in a light syrup alongside dried red jujubes, lotus seeds, and rock sugar, often prepared for Chinese New Year and other festive occasions. The dessert relies entirely on the tremella mushroom, known commonly as silver ear fungus, which grows naturally on the bark of broadleaf trees. Historically, this highly prized ingredient was incredibly scarce and strictly reserved for imperial banquets and nobility as an affordable yet equally luxurious alternative to expensive edible bird's nests. Medical texts from ancient East Asian dynasties heavily documented their consumption, praising the gelatinous properties for supposedly lubricating the lungs and maintaining a glowing complexion. The recipe starts by soaking the dried, tightly clustered fungus exclusively in cold water for several hours until it fully expands into a soft, ruffled sponge. Hot water is strictly avoided during this initial rehydration phase, as it instantly turns the delicate frills into mush and loses their signature crunch. Once fully plumped, the hard, dark yellow root at the base is severed with shears and discarded, while the remaining pale frills are torn by hand into small, bite-sized pieces. These fragments are submerged in a large pot of cold water alongside halved dried jujubes, which naturally sweeten the broth, and handfuls of dried lotus seeds. The entire mixture comes to a rapid boil before dropping to a very low, steady simmer for roughly 45 minutes. This slow heat gradually coaxes out the natural collagens within the mushroom, thickening the surrounding liquid into a slick, clinging syrup while allowing the fungus itself to retain a crisp, snappy bite. In the final moments on the stove, handfuls of dried goji berries and large shards of yellow rock sugar are dropped directly into the pot, dissolving rapidly to finalize the flavor profile without turning the berries overly bitter. Certain households drop massive chunks of Asian pear or ripe papaya directly into the boiling pot to infuse the liquid with heavy fruit nectar, while others incorporate dried longans for a concentrated, musky sweetness. Another heavily textured iteration introduces soaked peach resin and snow lily bulbs, yielding a significantly thicker, almost pudding-like consistency. During the freezing winter months, yin er tang is ladled straight from the steaming pot into deep porcelain bowls, radiating intense warmth. Conversely, when summer arrives, the entire batch is frequently refrigerated overnight and consumed chilled, serving as a deeply refreshing, cooling agent after an intensely spicy meal. It operates flawlessly as a standalone afternoon snack or as the concluding sweet note following a massive, multi-course banquet.
Originally a Cantonese specialty, tong sui (lit. sugar water) is a type of sweet soup or a custard-like dessert made with a base of either water or coconut milk. Extremely popular throughout the country, these sugary treats are nowadays found in tong sui shops but also at numerous food stalls, freshly prepared by street vendors. Tong sui desserts are available in a myriad of different colors and an unlimited selection of flavors, ranging from the simple fruity varieties and tofu puddings to the gaggingly bizarre ones such as guilinggao - powdered tortoise shell jelly or hasma - a sweet soup made with frogs' fallopian tubes! As an example of some appetizing combinations, Chinese dessert soups are often flavored with mango, pomelo, strawberries, citrus peels, pearl tapioca, or vanilla bean, peanut or black sesame paste, and almond or walnut flour. Most common tong sui toppings include ice cream, fresh fruits, and the bittersweet herbal grass jelly, while the chewy, glutinous rice dough balls called tong yuan are another popular addition to these soups. Depending on the season, tong sui can be enjoyed either hot or cold.
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For the “Top 7 Chinese Sweet Soups” list until July 15, 2026, 293 ratings were recorded, of which 247 were recognized by the system as legitimate.
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