Sweet Peanut Paste (Liquidised) | IDDSI Level 3 Recipe

IDDSI Level 3 (Liquidised) | 35 minutes active (plus soaking) | Easy

Sweet peanut paste (花生糊, faa sang wu) is a defining fixture of Hong Kong’s tong sui dessert culture — a slow-cooked, richly fragrant soup-paste of skinned peanuts and rock sugar, blended until completely smooth and served warm. Its texture, when made correctly, naturally sits at the thick end of IDDSI Level 3 Liquidised, making it one of the most accessible classic Cantonese desserts to adapt for dysphagia diets with minimal modification. The key requirements are fully skinned peanuts, thorough blending, and a careful sieving step to confirm the absence of any residual particulate matter. This recipe addresses each step with explicit texture checkpoints.

Ingredients (2–3 servings)

• 150g raw skinned peanuts (soaked for 4–6 hours or overnight)
• 1000–1200ml water (adjust to achieve target consistency)
• 50–70g rock sugar or white sugar (adjust to taste)
• 1 small pinch of salt (balances sweetness)
• 1 tsp glutinous rice flour dissolved in 2 tbsp cold water (optional; adds body — must be fully dissolved before adding, no lumps)

Method

1. Drain and rinse the soaked skinned peanuts. Confirm that all red skins have been removed — peanut skins are a fibrous solid that will compromise Level 3 compliance even after blending.
2. Combine peanuts with 800ml of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 30–40 minutes until the peanuts are completely soft and can be crushed effortlessly between two fingers.
3. Transfer the peanuts and all cooking liquid to a blender. Blend on high speed for 90 seconds until completely smooth with no detectable grain.
4. Pass the blended paste through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing firmly with a spoon. Discard any residue — even if minimal, this step is essential to confirm particle-free consistency.
5. Return the sieved paste to the saucepan over medium-low heat. Add sugar, salt, and dissolved glutinous rice flour slurry if using. Stir continuously until sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is uniform.
6. Adjust consistency with hot water to reach IDDSI Level 3: tilting a loaded spoon, the paste should flow slowly and continuously, coating the back with a thin opaque layer. If too thick (does not flow), add hot water in small increments. If too thin, continue simmering gently to reduce.
7. Taste and adjust sweetness. Serve warm.

Texture Test

IDDSI Level 3 (Liquidised) confirmation: Tilt a loaded spoon — the peanut paste should flow slowly and continuously, leaving an opaque milky-white coating on the back. Using the IDDSI syringe test, 1–10ml should be expelled over 10 seconds at 45 degrees. The paste must be completely free of peanut pieces or skin fragments.

Particle-free confirmation: Rub a small amount between clean fingertips — no gritty or granular sensation should be detectable. If any texture is found, sieve again using a finer mesh or muslin cloth.

Safety Notes

⚠️ Peanut skins must be fully removed — red peanut skins contain fibrous tissue that persists through blending. Always use pre-skinned peanuts, and use the sieving step to catch any residual fragments before serving.

⚠️ Peanut allergy — peanut is a major allergen. Do not prepare or serve this dish to any individual with a known peanut allergy. Confirm allergy status with care staff before introducing to a new resident.

⚠️ Serving temperature — confirm the paste is below 60°C before serving. Hot liquids carry a heightened scalding risk for individuals with reduced oral sensation associated with dysphagia.

Sourcing in Hong Kong

• Raw skinned peanuts: Wet market dried goods stalls, PARKnSHOP, and Wellcome; choose plump, uniformly off-white skinned peanuts; avoid roasted varieties (different flavour profile and harder to cook soft)
• Rock sugar: Supermarket condiment aisles; yellow crystal rock sugar (老冰糖) produces a gentler, rounder sweetness that complements peanut particularly well

Nutrition

Approximately 220 kcal per serving (200ml), 8g protein, 14g fat (predominantly unsaturated), 18g carbohydrate. Peanuts are rich in vitamin E, niacin, magnesium, and plant protein, supporting muscle maintenance and cardiovascular health. The high energy density relative to congee or clear broth makes peanut paste a valuable option for elderly residents with poor appetite who require caloric supplementation in a small volume. The warm, sweet, aromatic format also typically elicits better voluntary intake than neutral-tasting nutritional supplements.

Cultural Note

Sweet peanut paste is deeply embedded in Hong Kong’s dessert culture, available at every traditional tong sui shop and many dim sum restaurants. For many elderly Cantonese residents, it carries strong nostalgic associations — a childhood and family memory in a warm bowl. Offering a Level 3-compliant version in care settings acknowledges that safe eating and meaningful eating are not mutually exclusive, and allows residents with dysphagia to continue experiencing a dish that connects them to their cultural identity.