7 Chinese Desserts That You Will Love!

When you think of Chinese food, desserts are not always the first thing that comes to mind, instead you think of crispy beef, sweet and sour or spring rolls, but there are several popular and traditional sweet dishes that the Chinese regularly eat and love! Here are some of the most well-liked of the selection, to tantalise your taste buds and inspire you to have a go at cooking up one of these sumptuous puddings.

Sticky Rice Cakes

Typically, sticky rice cakes are made and eaten during the Chinese New Year, although they are popular at most festivities throughout the year. They are shaped and decorated in different ways to mark the season or the celebration. The cakes are a representation of growth, making it a common gift to friends and family during the celebrations. The sticky and glutinous rice is cooked with brown sugar and then moulded into balls that are the size of a couple of generous bites. There are variations of these desserts all throughout Asia, from Korean rice cakes to a Japanese version, each family is also likely to have their own preferred recipe, each just as delicious as the other.

Black Sesame Rice Balls

Black sesame rice balls are like rice cakes, yet they have a wonderful sesame twist. The sesame seeds are crushed, then mixed with an oil, which is then rolled into the middle of a sticky and dense rice ball. The balls are then boiled in water and served in a sweet soup. Black sesame rice balls are also popular during festivals, many people make them from scratch, but due to their popularity, they are often available pre-made in oriental supermarkets.

Sweet Red Bean Soup

This sweet soup is made from adzuki beans, sugar, orange zest and tapioca pearls – that is it! Even though there are minimal ingredients, it has an incredible flavour and is just the sort of dessert you want after filling yourself with a range of savoury Chinese dishes, as it is light on the stomach yet has the perfect amount of sweetness.

Sesame Fritters

Simply, these are deep fried tastiness. If you like a doughy dessert, this one is for you! The sesame can be exchanged for banana, apple, seeds or anything else that you fancy deep fried. They are usually eaten as a bite sized snack or a dessert.

Grass Jelly

The black grass (Cyclea Barbata) used in grass jelly is found in various places in Asia. The dried leaves of the plant are added to boiling water and sugar, the mix is then filtered and placed in the freezer to set. Traditionally, the grass jelly is used for medicinal purposes, the healing properties aid several ailments, including stomach problems like constipation, diarrhoea and ulcers. The jelly is also used for headaches and heartburn amongst other conditions. Not only is it good for you, it tastes great too!

Deep Fired Durian

In some places, the consumption of the durian fruit in public places has been forbidden, with quite a steep fine if the rules aren’t followed. You will either love the taste and smell, or hate it. There are people who can’t eat enough of it and there are some that are incredibly repulsed by it. The smell is like that of cooked cabbage, smelly feet or gas. The lovers of the flavour can see past the scent to enjoy the tasty fruit. Some of the chemicals in the durian are added to gases with no scent, so people can identify a lethal leak. Despite the strong smell, the fruit has a deliciously sweet and moreish flesh, which when it is mixed with sugar and deep fried, it is sumptuous. For deep-fried durian, the fruit is wrapped in thin rice paper then coated in a flour and egg wash, it is then covered in breadcrumbs and deep fried until the coating turns a golden brown.

Dragon’s Beard Candy

Presumed to have been eaten for over 2000 years throughout history, the dessert was reserved for emperors but is now eaten by people from all walks of life. Hardened sugar is manipulated by pulling and twisting until there are thousands of incredibly thin strands, with the final appearance being like white candy floss. The candy is stuffed with various fillings, depending on which one you choose or where you get them from, some have sesame seeds, peanuts, coconut or chocolate. The process involved with making the candy is considered a form of art and people travel from all over the world to watch it being done by a master.

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