5 Tong Sui Varieties
Ranked From the Best To the Worst

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.Expand

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.Expand

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.Expand

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.Expand

In its original form, guilinggao was a herbal paste that consisted of the powdered plastron (bottom shell of Golden coin turtle) and a variety of flowers, herbs, spices, roots, and tree barks. Although it was initially used as a health remedy, modern variations are mainly enjoyed as a well-chilled, refreshing jelly dessert. Since the Golden coin turtle is critically endangered, the original paste is nowadays rarely found and usually comes with a hefty price tag. Many producers opt to use other turtle species, and guilinggao nowadays usually appears as a canned version, or as a powder mix that is easily made into jelly.Expand