Barley Fuchuk Tong Sui
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Pearl Barley 1/2杯 洋薏米
- 200 grams ginkgo 200克白果
- 60 grams dried beancurd skin 60克腐竹片（甜点） for dessert
- 3-4 pandan leaves 3-4片香兰叶, 冲洗干净 rinsed clean
- 90 grams rock sugar 90克 蜂蜜冰糖
- 2500 ml water 2500毫升水
Instructions
Prepare the Ginkgo Nuts (if using fresh):
- Crack and peel the shells.
- Soak peeled ginkgo in water for 30 minutes to loosen skin.
- Peel off the skin, slice the ginkgo in half, and remove the inner bitter core (the thin germ).
Rinse ingredients:
- Rinse pearl barley and fuchuk (dessert-type beancurd sheets) to remove dust or impurities.
- Set aside pandan leaves (lightly twisted) to release fragrance.
Assemble ingredients in a pot:
- Add the rinsed barley, ginkgo, fuchuk, and pandan leaves to the pot.
- Pour in water.
Cook the tong sui:
- Bring the pot to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce to low heat and simmer for 1.5 hours.
- Check: barley should be soft and slightly chewy; fuchuk may be partially dissolved.
Sweeten the soup:
- Add rock sugar to taste.
- Simmer another 5 minutes until the sugar fully dissolves.
- Remove pandan leaves and serve warm.
Notes
Use Pearl Barley 洋薏米:
Pearl barley is smaller, oval and more tender when cooked—ideal for dessert soups. They are barley that has had its husk removed. They resemble white rice grains and are grayish-yellow in color. Choose the right fuchuk:
Use the type labeled for desserts—it’s thinner and softens faster than savory beancurd sheets. Always remove the ginkgo core:
The greenish core (芽) inside ginkgo is bitter. Taking this out keeps your dessert sweet and pleasant. Twist pandan leaves before boiling:
Twisting releases more aroma, infusing your soup with that signature pandan fragrance. Simmer gently for better texture:
A long, gentle simmer (1.5 hours) softens the barley and melds all flavours together. Don’t rush it. If you want the fuchuk to dissolve completely, cook longer.
Pearl barley is smaller, oval and more tender when cooked—ideal for dessert soups. They are barley that has had its husk removed. They resemble white rice grains and are grayish-yellow in color. Choose the right fuchuk:
Use the type labeled for desserts—it’s thinner and softens faster than savory beancurd sheets. Always remove the ginkgo core:
The greenish core (芽) inside ginkgo is bitter. Taking this out keeps your dessert sweet and pleasant. Twist pandan leaves before boiling:
Twisting releases more aroma, infusing your soup with that signature pandan fragrance. Simmer gently for better texture:
A long, gentle simmer (1.5 hours) softens the barley and melds all flavours together. Don’t rush it. If you want the fuchuk to dissolve completely, cook longer.