I meant to write about Asian beauty secrets for ages. People often say Asians have good genes that keep them look younger for longer, but I think there is more to it. There are plenty of healthy habits that we pass down through generations of women for maintaining our youthful appearance and optimal health. And so today I am going to share with you something this is sweet and yummy!
Chinese Sweet Soups are usually served as a dessert, but they’re not like desserts in any other culture. They are not bad temptation that should avoid as much as possible,. To us, desserts aren’t indulgent or sinful but a necessary health tonic for the body. Some of these soups are great for ‘moisturizing’ our internal organs; some can lower the ‘heat’ inside of our body and many are said to improve our skin condition and to clear acne. A healthy diet is all about balancing all the right elements. A little bit of sweet will do us no harm but bring us great health benefits. Just remember, moderation is key.
In Hong Kong, there’re many restaurants that serve only sweet soups. A lot of these specialty eateries are packed with people even late at night. Its part of our culture! Instead of going to a pub to socialize, we go for sweet soups!
If you are feeling dull and tired, a bowl of red bean soup will give you an energy boost. If you have acne, then go for green bean soup to lower your ‘heat’ and it is also good for eczema and to lower cholesterol. If you are looking for a smooth, milky white complexion, then traditional almond milk will be your best friend!
Today I am going to share with you a simple recipe of the Asian Pear Almond Dessert Soup.
This is a classic and surprisingly easy to make. It has a delicate sweetness that is nicely contrasted with a smooth gingery zing and aromatic hint of almond flavor. Its sweetness derives from the rock cane sugar and Asian pears which is light and refreshing. This dessert can be enjoyed hot or cold. It is low in calories, fat and cholesterol. It is vegan friendly too! From a traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, this dessert soup is known to nourish and moisturize the lungs and skin. It helps to quench thirst if your throat and mouth are feeling dry. Asia pears are also known to relieve dry coughs and help expel phlegm.
Ingredients:
2 Asian Pears
2 tsp south almonds
2 tsp north almonds
1 small snow fungus, soaked overnight
2 slices of ginger
1 rock sugar, slight larger then a golf ball
4 cups of water
(You can get the almonds, rock sugar and snow fungus from most of the Chinese grocery stores – they are very common and inexpensive)
Prep time – 10 mins
Cook time – 2 hours
Use a ceramic double steamer if you have one, but otherwise just use a normal cooking pot or sauce pan. I like to keep things simple and accessible.
- Wash, core and quarter each pear. Cut each quarter slice in half again.
- Cut the soaked snow fungus to small pieces. If the center is hard, dice it to small pieces so they can cook and soften during the cooking process.
- Wash and drain the almonds, ginger and rock sugar.
- Put all the ingredients and water into the pot and bring to boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours.
Enjoy!