Unique Asian Desserts

Most Asian restaurants in North America do not offer too many dessert choices on their menus, but that does not mean they do not have desserts. There are many types of Asian desserts that are quite unique and perhaps not suited to the western palate. In Asia, and in Chinatowns around the world, you will find eateries and cafes that specialize in desserts only. Increasingly, Asian restaurants are offering western desserts made with Asian ingredients like green tea, red beans and rice flour. If you find yourself in Asia or in a Chinatown somewhere, stop and sample some of these unique desserts:

Desserts made with green tea
In recent years, matcha or green tea powder has become very popular as a flavoring for many desserts, from cakes to panna cottas. Mochi green tea ice cream is a small ball of ice cream wrapped inside a mochi (thin glutinous rice dough) covering. This delectable Japanese confection can be found in most Asian supermarkets and at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Market.

Desserts made with red bean
Also known as azuki bean, the red bean is a highly popular legume used for desserts in China, Japan, Korea and southeast Asia. Many Chinese restaurants, especially those located in Chinatown, serve the complimentary red bean soup (red beans boiled in water with lotus seeds, sugar and tapioca pearls) at the end of a meal. Red beans, boiled with sugar or honey, and grounded into a paste, are used as a savory filling for Japanese sweets like daifuku or mochi. These are delicate small round glutinous rice cake stuffed with sweet red bean paste. Chinese use red bean paste in steamed and baked buns and pastries. Like green tea, the red bean is delightful in ice cream.

Desserts made with green or mung bean
Another ubiquitous Asian dessert is the green or mung bean. Like its red bean cousin, this bean is used in very similar ways. Mung beans are light yellow in color when their skins are removed. Cooked and grounded into a paste, they are used as fillings in steamed and baked buns, moon cakes and in glutinous rice dumplings.

Shaved ice with red beans, mung beans and jelly
Everyone loves this dessert, especially on a hot summer day. This tri-colored drink of shaved ice with red beans, yellow mung beans, and green jelly with coconut milk can be found in most Vietnamese or Malaysian restaurants and Chinese dessert eateries.

Tofu pudding
This dessert tofu has a silken texture and is served with a honeyed-syrup laced with a hint of ginger. It is sold as street food or at dim sum (a tapas-like meal served from 10 am to 3 pm) at Chinese restaurants.

Desserts made with the Durian fruit
Native to Southeast Asia, the durian is touted as the king of tropical fruits. It is an oblong-shaped fruit, slightly larger than a pineapple, with a spiky husk. To those unfamiliar with the fruit, the smell it emits will come across as offensive. Some Asians despise the fruit. To those who love it, the creamy and custard-like flesh inside is absolutely delicious. The durian fruit is frequently used to flavor candy, cookies, for cake and pie fillings, smoothies and ice cream. A common dessert is the durian custard served over sticky or glutinous rice steamed in coconut milk.