Black sesame soup: what it is and how it is made

Black sesame soup is a hot Chinese sweet soup made from finely ground toasted black sesame seeds, a little rice or glutinous rice flour for body, sugar and water. The black sesame soup comes out thick, dark grey and smooth, with a deep nutty, slightly bitter taste balanced by sweetness. It is eaten warm with a spoon, usually after a meal.

What is black sesame soup?

Black sesame soup is a Cantonese-style dessert soup, written 芝麻糊 and pronounced zhi ma hu in Mandarin or jee ma wu in Cantonese. The words mean sesame paste, and the dish sits in the large family of Chinese sweet soups known as tong sui.

The soup is closer to a pudding or a thin porridge than to a clear broth. Ground black sesame gives it colour and flavour, while a starch thickener gives it a velvety body that coats the spoon. Dessert shops in southern China, Hong Kong and Chinese neighbourhoods overseas commonly serve it in small bowls, often next to red bean soup and walnut soup.

What does black sesame soup taste like?

Black sesame soup tastes toasty, nutty and mildly bitter, with a sweetness that rounds the edges. The aroma is similar to tahini or roasted sesame paste, but warmer and sweeter.

The texture is the point of the dish. A well-made bowl is smooth and heavy, without grit, and it thickens a little as it cools in the bowl. Some cooks finish the soup with a spoonful of milk or a splash of coconut milk for a softer flavour, and others add a few sesame seeds on top for contrast.

What is black sesame soup made of?

Black sesame soup is made of toasted black sesame seeds, a thickener, sugar and water. Each part has a job.

Traditional versions grind soaked rice together with the seeds, so the rice starch thickens the soup as it cooks. Quicker versions use glutinous rice flour mixed with cold water into a slurry. Neither is difficult, but the grinding step decides how smooth the final bowl will be.

How do you make black sesame soup at home?

To make black sesame soup, toast the seeds, grind them to a fine powder, blend with water, strain, then simmer with sugar and a rice flour slurry until thick. The whole process takes about 30 minutes.

1. Toast 100 g (about 2/3 cup) black sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until they smell nutty and begin to pop. Tip them out immediately so they do not scorch.
2. Grind the seeds in a spice grinder or blender to a fine powder.
3. Blend the powder with 700 ml (3 cups) of water until very smooth, then pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a pot. Press the solids and discard what stays behind.
4. Mix 3 tablespoons of glutinous rice flour with 100 ml of cold water until no lumps remain.
5. Warm the sesame liquid over medium heat, add 50 to 60 g sugar, and stir until dissolved.
6. Pour in the flour slurry slowly, stirring constantly, and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the soup coats the back of a spoon.

Taste and adjust the sugar at the end. The soup should be sweet enough to soften the bitterness without hiding the sesame.

How do you fix common black sesame soup problems?

Most failures come from three causes: gritty texture, lumps and a burnt taste. Each has a direct fix.

• Gritty soup: grind the seeds more finely and always strain the blended liquid.
• Lumpy soup: mix the flour with cold water first and add the slurry slowly while stirring.
• Bitter or burnt taste: the seeds were over-toasted. Toast on lower heat and remove the pan as soon as the seeds smell nutty.
• Too thick: thin the soup with hot water, a splash at a time.
• Too thin: simmer a little longer, or add a spoonful more of the flour slurry.

Black sesame seeds hold a lot of oil, so grinding them in very short bursts keeps the machine from heating and turning the paste bitter.

What is the difference between black sesame soup and black sesame paste?

Black sesame paste is the ground ingredient, while black sesame soup is the finished dessert made by cooking that paste or powder with water, sugar and a thickener. One is a pantry item and the other is a bowl you eat.

The same seeds also appear in black sesame ice cream, black sesame mochi and sesame-filled glutinous rice balls. The soup is the simplest way to taste the flavour on its own.

How do you serve and store black sesame soup?

Serve black sesame soup hot in small bowls. Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

The soup keeps thickening as it cools, so it will be much firmer the next day. Reheat gently over low heat with a splash of hot water and stir constantly so the starch does not catch on the bottom of the pot. It is not suited to long freezing, since the texture can turn grainy once thawed.

For serving, a few untoasted white sesame seeds look attractive on top, and a spoon of hot water or milk loosens a bowl that has thickened too much.

Is black sesame soup on the Double Ming menu?

Yes. Double Ming Chinese Dessert in Scarborough lists Black Sesame Soup among its sweet soups and milk desserts. The recorded menu describes it as a warm, thick sweet soup of ground black sesame, and visitors on a public food page name it as one of their recommended orders.

No prices are published online for the shop, since a paper menu is handed out in store. Opening hours are on the hours and location page, and the menu page lists the other dishes recorded from public sources. This guide is independent, takes no orders and cannot confirm what is available on a given day, so phone the shop before a special trip.

Common questions

Before you go, check the Double Ming Chinese Dessert guide for the current hours and the menu.

This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Double Ming Chinese Dessert itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.