Chinese desserts facts for kids
Chinese desserts (simplified Chinese: 中式甜点; traditional Chinese: 中式甜點; pinyin: Zhōngshì tiándiǎn) are sweet foods and dishes from China. People often enjoy them with tea, during meals, or as a sweet ending. These desserts use many different ingredients common in East Asian cooking. Some popular ones include glutinous rice, sweet bean pastes, and agar. Because Chinese culture has a long and rich history, there are tons of different kinds of desserts!
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Types of Chinese Desserts
Chinese desserts come in many shapes, sizes, and flavors. They can be grouped into a few main types.
Bing: Baked Goodies
Bing (simplified Chinese: 饼; traditional Chinese: 餅; pinyin: bǐng) are baked treats made from wheat flour. They can be like a crumbly pie crust or a flaky puff pastry. The flaky kind is often called su (simplified Chinese: 酥; traditional Chinese: 酥; pinyin: sū). Lard is usually the fat used to make them.
Some famous bing include moon cakes, which are popular during the Mid-Autumn Festival. There are also sun cakes from Beijing and Taiwan, and wife cakes.
Tang: Sweet Candies
Chinese candies and sweets are called táng (simplified Chinese: 糖; traditional Chinese: 糖; pinyin: p=táng). They are usually made with cane sugar, malt sugar, or honey. These candies often have nuts or fruits mixed in. The fruits or nuts can be whole or mashed into a paste to add flavor and texture.
Have you ever heard of Dragon's beard candy? It's a very delicate, floss-like candy. Another well-known one is White Rabbit Creamy Candy. Both are great examples of Chinese candies.
Gao or Guo: Rice-Based Treats
Gao or Guo (simplified Chinese: 糕; traditional Chinese: 糕; pinyin: gāo or Chinese: 粿; pinyin: guǒ) are snacks made from rice. They are usually steamed and can be made from sticky (glutinous) rice or regular rice. In some parts of China, especially where people speak Fukien, they are called Kuei.
These rice snacks have many different textures. They can be chewy, jelly-like, fluffy, or quite firm. They are very different from Western pastries. Some popular types include Nian gao (a sticky rice cake), Bai Tang Gao (a fluffy white cake), Tangyuan (sweet rice balls), and Ang Ku Kueh (red tortoise cakes).
Ices: Cool and Refreshing
Shaved ice desserts (simplified Chinese: 刨冰; traditional Chinese: 刨冰; pinyin: bào bīng) are very popular in China. They are topped with sweet syrups and other yummy things. Ice cream is also widely available and enjoyed throughout China.
Dong or Bing: Jellies
Chinese jellies are known as jellies or ices (simplified Chinese: 冻; traditional Chinese: 凍; pinyin: dòng or Chinese: 冰; pinyin: bīng). Many traditional jelly desserts are made with agar, which comes from seaweed. They are often flavored with fruits. However, jellies made with gelatin are also common today.
Some Chinese jellies, like grass jelly and aiyu jelly, set on their own without needing extra ingredients.
Tang or Hu: Sweet Soups
Chinese dessert soups (simplified Chinese: 汤; traditional Chinese: 湯; pinyin: tāng or simplified Chinese: 糊; traditional Chinese: 糊; pinyin: hú) are usually sweet and served hot. In Cantonese, they are often called tong sui. Some of these soups are made with special ingredients. People believe these ingredients can help with health, following ideas from traditional Chinese medicine. A common dessert soup is douhua, which is a soft tofu pudding.
Images for kids
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A Chinese pastry fruit tart, showing some Western influence.
