How to Make Sweet Potato Ginger Tong Sui | A Cantonese Grandma's Warming Sweet Soup
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On chilly days when a cold wind cut right through you, grandmas in Guangdong, China simmered sweet potato and ginger into a sweet, warming soup. Four ingredients, one pot, and about 25 minutes.
Where It Comes From
Tong sui (糖水, literally "sugar water") is the Cantonese sweet soup dessert of southern China. In Guangdong, people have long eaten sweet tong sui on chilly days to warm up. Sweet potato and ginger tong sui (番薯糖水) is one of the simplest versions to make at home, and it was also made when someone felt a little backed up. Think of it as a warm dessert you eat with a spoon.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sweet potato | 200 g (about 7 oz) |
| Fresh ginger, thinly sliced | 10 g (about ⅓ oz) |
| Dark brown sugar | 20 g (about 2 tbsp) |
| Water | 600 ml (about 2½ cups) |
How to Make It
- Cut the sweet potato into bite-size chunks.
- Put the 600 ml of water, the sliced ginger and the sweet potato in a pot and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the brown sugar and simmer 5 more minutes.
Why People Love It
- A warm bowl that helps you get fluids
- Sweet potato contains fiber
- Studies in people suggest ginger may ease nausea
What Science Says
Sweet potato contains fiber, but no study has looked at sweet potato soup itself for constipation yet. Science hasn't tested it yet — that's not the same as wrong. Ginger has been studied in people, mainly for easing nausea. And Grandma had good reasons to reach for this soup on cold days: it's a warm bowl that gives you fluids along with fiber-rich sweet potato.
Today's Rating
| Evidence | Safety |
|---|---|
| ★ (a remedy passed down through generations) | 🟢 (safe in normal food amounts) |
How to Enjoy It
One bowl per person on a chilly day.
Just Be Careful About This
- If you limit potassium because of kidney disease, use less sweet potato or skip it. Sweet potato is high in potassium. When the kidneys don't work well, potassium isn't cleared easily, so blood potassium can rise and affect your heart rhythm.
General Note
- If you have diabetes, cut back on the sweet ingredients. Sugary foods and drinks can raise blood sugar quickly. Even with half the brown sugar, the sweet potato keeps it pleasantly sweet.
Sources
This article introduces traditional food customs. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please talk to your doctor if you have health concerns.
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