AstaHuang
Si Shen Tang ๐ฅ
Since Si Shen Tang came up in conversation, I decided to make a post about it ๐ Growing up in a Hakka family, the Si Shen Tang I drank as a child was always sweet. It was only when I grew up that I learned โ wait, there's a savory version? And then I also found out that many people don't know there's a sweet version of Si Shen Tang ๐ Si Shen Tang was originally a medicinal diet. Common ingredients nowadays include Chinese yam (Huai Shan), Poria cocos (Fu Ling), Euryale ferox (Qian Shi), lotus seeds, and Job's tears (Yi Ren), and the recipes vary slightly by region and family. The Taiwanese version, which is more familiar to many, usually includes pork intestines, stomach, or ribs, and is cooked as a savory soup. However, in some Hakka families in areas like Taoyuan and Hsinchu, there's a tradition of adding rock sugar to make it a sweet soup. Some versions don't include any meat at all, like a sweet soup with Job's tears and lotus seeds; there are also versions that add pork trotters or tail and still add sugar (though I can't quite accept the latter ๐คฃ). Some families even cook it initially without any sweetness or saltiness, and then people decide whether to add sugar or salt when they eat it. But not all Hakka people drink the sweet version, and there's a lot of variation between families. Personally, I don't particularly like sweets, but because I grew up eating it this way, sweet Si Shen Tang is like mung bean soup or red bean soup to me โ a refreshing and smooth sweet dessert ๐
2026.09.16 PM 2:05 ยท View Count 66
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Lv.1
ๆๆฏโ
Ah, so this is the taste of childhood memories. A warm and comforting dessert like mung bean soup, it truly feels familiar. To transform medicinal cuisine into a home-style sweet dish shows the wisdom of your family in using ingredients. I have learned from this unique culinary heritage.
Lv.82
ไนพ็ฝต
Huh? Is there a sweet version of Si Shen Tang?
Lv.103
ๅธๅฐ็
So Hakka style Four Herbs soup is sweet... I didn't know.
Lv.66
ๅๅ้
It's delicious.
Lv.98
ht
I didn't even know there was a sweet version of Si Shen Tang. I find it weird to have Job's tears in savory dishes~ just like taro
Lv.31
้ๅฟๆจ้้
I really didn't know you could make sweet things. I just learned today, thanks for sharing!
Lv.102
่ๅฌ่ฑฌ
Thanks for sharing.
Lv.77
ๆๅคๅนฝ้ฆ
This is delicious. Chewing on it with a pig's tail is pretty good too.
Lv.102
็ชๅฅๆต
I always thought Si Shen Tang was a savory soup๐ซช
Lv.100
ไป้ฟไป
Thanks for sharing.
Lv.84
ๆตฎ่
This is my first time knowing that Szechuan pepper soup is sweet. I've also heard from a friend that his grandma adds sugar to her sesame oil chicken... It really shows how flavors differ by region.
Lv.72
่จๅญ้ฌผ
Thanks for sharing.
Lv.86
ไบๆ็ฉ
I've only had the salty kind.
Lv.86
่บๅฏถ่ฒ
I've lived for 53 years and only today did I find out there's a 'sweet' version of Si Shen Tang! All this time I've only had the savory version with lots of ingredients, and had to add rice wine to enhance the flavor.
Lv.39
ๅก็ฎ้ขจ
I've actually never had sweet Si Shen Tang... ๐ค๐ค
Lv.70
miniXin
I really didn't know about the sweet four gods.
Lv.84
่ฅๅฎ ไธ่
I've tried the sweet ones, and they were hard to swallow. No offense intended, it's just that cultural differences are really huge.
Lv.71
ๅฐ็ฑณไธ
Are you having the sweet stuff hot or cold??
Lv.83
ๅฐ็ฟ็ฟz
Thanks for sharing.
Lv.101
้ข้ช
Sweet Si Shen Tang, I'm curious about the taste.