Sweet Waxgourd Dessert Soup
Sweet Waxgourd Dessert Soup, known as 'Dong Gua Tang' in Chinese, is a light, refreshing, and subtly sweet soup traditionally enjoyed in Chinese cuisine, particularly during hot summers. Its primary ingredient is winter melon (wax gourd), which is simmered until tender, often with rock sugar for sweetness and sometimes with additions like red dates or lotus seeds. It is a classic example of a 'tong sui' (sweet soup) dessert, valued for its cooling properties in traditional Chinese dietary philosophy.
🍽️ Nutrition at a glance
This dessert soup is very low in fat and protein, with the majority of its calories coming from simple carbohydrates, primarily from the added rock sugar. It is a good source of potassium and provides hydration, with a typical serving containing roughly 100-150 calories.
Nutrition breakdown
| Calories | 120 kcal |
| Protein | 0.5 g |
| Carbs | 30 g |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 28 g |
| Sodium | 10 mg |
| Potassium | 350 mg |
| Vitamin C | 15 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.1 mg |
| Magnesium | 15 mg |
| Manganese | 0.1 mg |
| Phosphorus | 20 mg |
| Folate | 10 µg |
| Water | 210 g |
Per 1 cup (240 g) · estimated, varies by recipe
💡 What's interesting
Culturally, it's a staple 'cooling' food in Chinese medicine, believed to help balance the body's internal heat, especially in summer. Nutritionally, wax gourd itself is extremely low in calories and high in water content, making the soup a light, hydrating treat rather than a heavy dessert.
