Dou Hua is one of my favourite food. I like both sweet and savoury versions.

Craving for a bowl of Dou Hua and decided to try making it at home.

The result is not bad, soft and velvety. Served it with brown sugar syrup, I can finish the whole lot.

Tangyuan is a Chinese dessert made from glutinous rice flour. They are usually plain or filled with peanuts, black sesame or red bean paste.

Tangyuan is also known as Yuanxiao as they are traditionally eaten during Yuan Xiao Festival (Lantern Festival on the 15th day of Chinese New Year, also known as Chinese Valentine’s day) or during Winter Solstice Festival.

Tangyuan symbolizes unity (团圆), hence they are also served on Chinese weddings’ day.

Traditional tangyuan are white and pink in colour, and served in a ginger and pandan leaves infused sweet soup.

This year, I infused the sweet soup with Osmanthus flowers, giving the soup a light yellow tint and sweet fragrance.

This is a popular dessert item among Chinese, and is one of my favourite dessert of all.

Traditional Chinese believe that food are broadly categorised as yin 阴(cooling), yang 阳 (warming) or neutral. For example, eating “warm” food generates warmth in the body whereas eating “cooling” food makes the body feel cold.

Whether to eat warming or cooling food depends on the time of the year and our bodies current state of imbalance. This is the concept of balancing the Yin and Yang, very much a part of our Chinese culture.

This dessert has “cooling” properties, consuming it can tamper the “heat” in our bodies. Especially after eating “heaty” food such as deep-fried food or when the weather is hot.

Smooth and silky, and mildly sweet, this dessert can be served hot or chilled.