Express Blender Black Sesame Sweet Soup
黑芝麻糊·(hēi zhī ma hú)
Tong Sui: Nostalgic Sweet Endings
Ten minutes. That is the exact gap between clearing the plates and serving the intoxicating, earthy smoke of fresh-toasted black sesame—a relief when chasing the jet-black velvet of a proper tong sui often ends in a chalky, thin broth where the oils separate out. The secret is the exact, popping toast of the raw seed and a highly specific matrix of both glutinous and long-grain rice to prevent the soup from thinning out under yellow rock sugar; just keep the water hot, and a modern high-speed blender simulates the ancient stone mill in two minutes, yielding a perfectly smooth, rich emulsion.
Before you start
Rinse and soak the rice.
Wash the glutinous and long-grain rice together under cold water until it runs clear, then submerge in a bowl of water to soak for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Ingredients
- raw whole black sesame seeds1 cup
- short-grain glutinous rice3 tbsp
- long-grain white rice3 tbsp
- filtered water4 cup
- Chinese yellow rock sugar1/3 cup
Method
- 01
Toast the damp sesame seeds in a dry skillet.
Place a wide skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the rinsed sesame seeds and stir constantly to evaporate the residual water. Once the seeds appear dry, immediately drop the heat to medium-low.
- 02
Listen for the pop.
Keep stirring for 5 to 8 minutes until the seeds emit a distinct crackling sound and swell into round, bulging spheres. The moment you smell a rich, nutty smoke without a hint of burning, pour them onto a plate to cool.
- 03
Pulverize the seeds and rice into a jet-black milk.
Drain the soaked rice and add it to a high-speed blender along with the cooled, toasted sesame seeds and 2 cup of the filtered water. Blend on the highest speed for two full minutes until completely smooth.
- 04
Cook the base with the remaining water and rock sugar.
Pour the blended milk into a medium saucepan, add the remaining 2 cup of water, and turn the heat to medium-low. Add the crushed rock sugar.
- 05
Stir continuously until the starches gelatinize.
Do not walk away; if you stop stirring, the heavy rice starches will sink and scorch. After 8 to 10 minutes, the soup will dramatically thicken into a glossy, velvety pudding. Serve immediately while piping hot.
Notes
Adapting for standard blenders.
If you lack a high-speed blender, blend the seeds and rice with 2 cup of water for one minute, press through a fine-mesh sieve into the pot, then return the coarse pulp to the blender with 1 more cup of water. Blend again, strain, and discard the remaining gritty pulp.
Sourcing rock sugar.
Rock sugar provides a clean, mellow sweetness that allows the roasted sesame to shine. If unavailable, use light brown or raw cane sugar, adjusting the amount to your preference.