Dessert & Sweet Soup

Red Bean & Lotus Seed Sweet Soup (红豆莲子糖水)

Name: Red Bean & Lotus Seed Sweet Soup (红豆莲子糖水)
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 200 g Red beans (adzuki); 80 g Whole (round) lotus seeds; 1 small piece Dried tangerine peel (optional); ~100 g, to taste Rock sugar; 2 L Water

Velvety red bean with tender whole lotus — the crowd-pleaser of Cantonese dessert shops.

serves 4–6 ~2 h (mostly simmering) Difficulty: Easy

Which lotus to order: Whole (round) seeds stand out beautifully against red bean; drilled also works for a softer fold-in.

Red bean and lotus seed is one of the oldest pairings in Cantonese dessert culture — earthy red bean meeting the delicate, slightly sweet lotus. In the winter months it is served hot; in summer, poured over shaved ice.

For overseas Chinese supermarkets, the tinned or instant version is a steady item year-round, with the lotus form — whole round or split — chosen to suit the season's serve.

Ingredients

Red beans (adzuki)
200 g
Whole (round) lotus seeds
80 g
Dried tangerine peel (optional)
1 small piece
Rock sugar
~100 g, to taste
Water
2 L

Method

1
Soak 200 g red beans overnight (or 4 h) and 80 g lotus seeds 30–60 min.
2
Bring 2 L water to a boil, add the beans (and tangerine peel) and simmer ~1 h until the beans begin to soften.
3
Add the lotus seeds and continue simmering ~40 min until both are tender. For a smoother texture, mash a portion of the beans against the side of the pot.
4
Stir in rock sugar to taste and simmer 5 more min. Serve hot or chilled.

Tips

Tip 1:Add lotus only after the beans are nearly soft, so the seeds keep their shape and do not dissolve into the red-bean starch.
Tip 2:Whole round lotus is the 'visible' ingredient dessert shops love — it adds texture to the spoon and appeal to the bowl.
Tip 3:for canned dessert lines, specify round seeds that hold shape after retorting and request a pre-test sample run before committing volume.

Buy the exact grade

Factory-direct, sulfur-free pearl lotus. Specify form, grade & destination for a fast FOB/CIF quote.