Black sesame soup or paste is a popular Chinese sweet soup made from black sesame seeds and rice. This nutty, fragrant, and healthy soup is the perfect ending to a meal.

Can’t find black sesame powder? Don’t worry, below we share how to make your own black sesame powder to use in this dessert.

I find that the older I get, the more I am drawn to the foods that my parents like to eat.

Am I catching up with the older generation? Most likely.

For instance, as a kid, I didn’t really care for Chinese ingredients such as lotus paste, salted egg yolk, or even black sesame.

But now that I have kids, and the strands of hair on my head are turning grey (!!), I’m thinking about how I can help slow the inevitable —

And of course, I think to my Mom’s Black Sesame Soup.

Black sesame has often been touted by the Chinese as a healthy food to consume in order to retain black hair colour. It is high in minerals and has a host of other health benefits.

What Is Black Sesame Soup (or Paste)?

Black sesame soup (sometimes called black sesame paste) is a sweet, Chinese dessert made with black sesame seeds, sugar, rice flour, and water.

The consistency can be thick (like a pudding) or thin (more watery) depending on preference.

Sometimes, during Chinese New Year, “tang yuan” or glutinous rice balls are added to the soup.

Health Benefits of Black Sesame

Black sesame has a rich, nutty flavour and is very aromatic, similar to its cousin tahini, which is made of white sesame seeds.

Black sesame seeds are rich in nutrition and contain many minerals and vitamins.

In Chinese medicine, black sesame helps to detoxify the body, regulate urinary system, nourish hair, and acts as a laxative.

To make this soup a little more healthy, my Mom’s recipe calls for honey as a natural sweetener. I’ve tried it with both honey and granulated cane sugar, and both work equally well.

Where Can You Find Black Sesame Soup? 

Black sesame soup is sometimes served as a dessert at the end of the meal in many Chinese restaurants. It is usually served warm or hot.

In Cantonese cuisine, “dessert” is known as “tong sui” which literally means “sweet water.” Another common “tong sui” is Red Bean Soup.

In Asian supermarkets, you can find instant black sesame soup in powdered form. Just dump the packet into a bowl, add hot boiling water, stir, and you’ve got black sesame soup.

However, it’s just as easy to make black sesame soup from scratch, without the chemicals and preservatives commonly found in the packaged form.

How To Make Black Sesame Powder 

All-natural (not instant) black sesame powder may be hard to find. If you have it, you can easily make this soup with the powder. But, if not, it’s very easy to make black sesame powder.

All you’ll need are black sesame seeds and a spice grinder.

Pulse the black sesame seeds until powdery, but just shy of releasing their natural oils. And voila, you have black sesame powder.

Dump the black sesame powder into a bowl and set aside.

Rice Flour vs Glutinous Rice Flour

This recipe calls for both rice flour and glutinous rice flour. These flours are commonly available in Asian grocery stores, but there is a difference between the two flours.

Rice flour is made from long grain rice, while glutinous rice flour is made from long or short-grained sweet rice.

Glutinous rice flour gives a stickier texture that is commonly associated with foods like tang yuan or mochi.

If you’re not able to find the rice flours, you can omit it, but the soup will be lighter in texture.

This black sesame soup is not only healthy, but it is tasty and nutritious.

Nutty, fragrant, and not too sweet, it’s the perfect ending to any meal. It will warm your body and delight your taste buds.

Try this recipe out and find out why this soup is on constant rotation in my home.

If you’re looking for other ways to use black sesame, check out my recipe for Refined Sugar-Free Black Sesame Mochi.

 

Yield: 4 servings

Chinese Black Sesame Soup

Print

Black sesame soup or paste is a popular Chinese sweet soup made from black sesame seeds and rice. This nutty, fragrant, and healthy soup is the perfect ending to a meal.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• ½ c black sesame seeds OR ¼ c black sesame powder
• 1 ½ c water (more according to your preference)
• 2 Tbsp rice flour
• 2 Tbsp glutinous rice flour
• 2 Tbsp honey (or granulated cane sugar)

Instructions

To Make Black Sesame Powder

1. Place the black sesame seeds into a clean spice grinder. Pulse intermittently until a powder consistency is attained. Be sure not to over-grind or it will turn into a paste (like tahini).

To Make The Soup

1. In a saucepan, add the water, rice flour, glutinous rice flour and black sesame powder. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Stir continuously. The mixture will start to thicken.
2. Continue to stir for about 10 minutes. Add in the honey or sugar. Stir until dissolved. Taste the black sesame soup and adjust for sweetness.
3. If the black sesame soup is too thick for your liking, add in a little more water and stir until homogeneous.
4. Remove from heat and ladle into small bowls. Serve warm.

Recommended Products

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• 
  Black Whole Sesame Seed
• 
  Sweet White Rice Flour, 24 Oz
• 
  White Rice Flour

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1/4 of recipe
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 214