Kitchen Recipe Collection
Black Sesame Soup (Zhi Ma Hu)
An incredibly fragrant, jet-black dessert soup. Toasted black sesame seeds and rice are blended and simmered into a smooth, thick, nutty, and highly nutritious sweet paste.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- easy
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 1 cup black sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup long-grain white rice (or glutinous rice)
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup rock sugar (or to taste)
- Optional: 10 toasted walnuts for extra richness
Equipment
- Dry pan/wok
- High-speed blender
- Fine mesh strainer
Instructions
- 1
Soak Rice
Rinse the rice and soak it in water for 1 hour. This helps it blend smoothly.
- 2
Toast Sesame Seeds
Place the black sesame seeds in a dry pan over low heat.
- 3
Stir constantly
Stir continuously for 5-8 minutes until they become very fragrant and start to pop. Do not burn them, or the soup will be bitter.
- 4
Blend Ingredients
Place the toasted sesame seeds, the soaked (and drained) rice, walnuts (if using), and 2 cups of water into a high-speed blender.
- 5
Puree
Blend on high for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is as smooth as possible.
- 6
Strain
Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a saucepan to remove any gritty seed hulls. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
- 7
Rinse Blender
Pour the remaining 2 cups of water into the blender to catch the rest of the paste, and pour that through the strainer into the saucepan as well.
- 8
Simmer
Place the saucepan over medium-low heat.
- 9
Add Sugar
Add the rock sugar.
- 10
Stir Constantly
Stir continuously as it heats. The rice starch will begin to cook and the soup will rapidly thicken into a glossy, jet-black paste.
- 11
Adjust Thickness
Simmer for 5 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the texture is thick and velvety. If it gets too thick, add a splash of boiling water.
- 12
Serve
Serve immediately while piping hot. It is incredibly warming and comforting.
Cooking Tips
- The rice is the thickening agent. Glutinous rice makes it stretchier, while regular white rice makes it smoother.
- Do not skip straining unless you have a commercial-grade blender, otherwise the soup will feel scratchy in your throat.
Variations
- Yin-Yang Dessert: A very popular presentation is serving half a bowl of Black Sesame Soup and half a bowl of White Almond Soup side-by-side, creating a Yin-Yang pattern.
Nutrition Estimate
280 calories · 6g protein · 35g carbs · 14g fat · 4g fiber per serving
