Black sesame soup (芝麻糊)
The classic Cantonese dessert: toasted black sesame blended and simmered into a smooth, nutty, gently sweet soup.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Serves
- 4
Method
- 1
Toast the sesame. Dry-fry the seeds in a clean wok over a low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and starting to pop. Don't let them burn — burnt sesame tastes bitter.
- 2
Blend. Blend the toasted seeds with 500ml of the water until very smooth. A high-speed blender works best; strain through a fine sieve if you like it silky.
- 3
Heat. Pour into a pan with the rest of the water and the sugar and bring to a simmer, stirring.
- 4
Thicken. Mix the glutinous rice flour with 4 tablespoons of cold water, stir it into the pan and cook, stirring all the time, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick and glossy. Serve hot.
About this dish
芝麻糊 is sold by street hawkers and dessert shops all over Hong Kong. Black sesame is traditionally thought to be good for the hair — which many new mothers have in mind when their hair starts shedding. The NHS says it's common to lose more hair than usual for up to 3 months after giving birth.
Tips
- Sweetness: each bowl has about 12 to 13g of added sugar. Start with less and add more to taste.
- Short cut: ready-ground black sesame powder from Chinese supermarkets saves the toasting and blending — toast it briefly in a dry pan to refresh the flavour.
Sources
About these recipes
- These are traditional home recipes, shared for cultural interest. They are not medical or nutritional advice, and we don’t claim any dish treats, prevents or cures anything.
- If you have allergies, gestational diabetes or a special diet, or take any medicines or herbal remedies, check with your midwife, health visitor, GP or pharmacist before changing what you eat.
- Follow UK food-safety advice: cook meat, fish and eggs thoroughly; cool leftovers and get them into the fridge within 1 to 2 hours; eat them within 2 days; and reheat only once, until steaming hot.
- Some recipes contain alcohol, and cooking doesn’t remove all of it. If you’re breastfeeding, read our guide to ginger vinegar and chicken in rice wine first.
Experienced carers cook dishes like these every day of the confinement month, and adjust them to how you’re feeling.
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