Southern Fujian Four Fruit Soup | A refreshing and traditional summer treat

When the midsummer sun scorches the city to a sweltering heat, I always crave a place where my taste buds can experience a refreshing dip. Inside a century-old arcade on Quanzhou West Street, I unlocked a new skill—making my own Minnan Four Fruit Soup! From preparing the agar-agar paste to pairing it with the sweet broth, this refreshing revolution on the palate will leave every cell screaming, "Refreshing!" 💦✨
🌿Traditional Agar-agar Paste: The Secret to a Chewy, Chewy Base
The soul of Four Fruit Soup lies in that crystal-clear agar-agar paste. At the Laoquanji Dessert Workshop, the chef demonstrated a three-generation-old brewing technique:
1️⃣ Ingredients: Use wild agar-agar (seaweed) from the Fujian coast. This red algae is rich in gelatin and acts as a natural coagulant.
2️⃣ Cooking: Wash the hay and add water in a ratio of 1:80. Simmer over low heat for 2 hours, skimming off any excess foam. When the broth becomes as thick as honey, filter out the grass residue through cheesecloth.
3️⃣ Solidification: Pour the filtrate into a square mold and let it sit at room temperature for 4 hours. You'll have agar-agar that'll shake your butt! Use a special planer to shave it into fine strands, as light as clouds.
💡Fun Fact: Agar-agar contains over 90% dietary fiber and is extremely low in calories, making it a "diet-killer dessert"!
🍉Ingredient Museum: Customize with over 10 ingredients.
The charm of Four Fruit Soup lies in the endless possibilities behind the "four" character. At the self-service toppings counter, I went into "choice-struck mode":

Classic: Red bean, mung bean, grass jelly, adazi (tapioca starch dumplings)

Fruit pie: Mango cubes, watermelon balls, pineapple cubes, dragon fruit strips

Healthy set: Job's tears, lotus seeds, white fungus, dried longan

Southern Fujian specialties: Filled taro balls, fried jujube slices (fried sweet potato starch), agar-agar shreds

👩🍳Pairing tips:

1️⃣ Spread 3 tablespoons of agar-agar as a base

2️⃣ Choose 4-6 toppings (to avoid flavor transfer)

3️⃣ Drizzle with honey/coconut milk/brown sugar water

4️⃣ Sprinkle with crushed ice and mint leaves

🏯West Street Wanderer: A Cool Guide to the Streetside Arcades

After making your four-fruit soup, take this sweet treat with you on a stroll through West Street. This street, originally built during the Song Dynasty, is home to countless Southern Fujian tales:

Kaiyuan Temple: Watch the East and West Towers gleam in the sunlight, their ancient luster. The lotuses in the temple's ancient lotus pond are in full bloom.

Nanyang Building: The red-brick arcade houses cafes, bookstores, and handmade shops, and the second-floor balcony is a prime photo spot.

Bell Tower: At the intersection beneath this century-old landmark, you'll often see grandmas pushing carts selling earthworm jelly and pickled turnips.

📸Hidden camera spots:

In front of "Yafu Spring Pancake Skin": Grab a spring roll and take a retro photo with the arcade as your backdrop.

At the "Kangzhuang Manjian Gao" stall: Wait for the freshly baked Manjian Gao and capture the steam rising from the oven.

Deep in "Pei Xiang": Turn a corner and encounter a graffiti wall for a creative photo with Four Fruit Soup.

🍴Nearby food: Traditional Southern Fujian three-piece set.

Besides Four Fruit Soup, West Street also has these must-try delicacies:

1️⃣ Noodle Soup: A Quanzhou version of "Hot Spicy Soup." Thin, hair-thin noodles are cooked into a paste, then topped with vinegar pork, large intestine, a braised egg, and a sprinkle of pepper.
2️⃣ Spring Roll: Over 10 ingredients, including cabbage, carrots, and dried tofu, are wrapped in a wafer-thin pancake wrapper, creating a rich tapenade.
3️⃣ Ginger Duck: Mussel duck stewed with three-year-old ginger and rice wine, resulting in tender, flavorful meat, with the aroma of ginger permeating every fiber.
🚶♀️ Recommended Half-Day Tour Itinerary
09:00 Arrive at West Street and try your hand at making your own Four-Fruit Soup at Laoquanji (approximately 1 hour).
10:30 Visit Kaiyuan Temple and soak up the tranquility of this ancient temple.
12:00 Enjoy Noodle Soup and Spring Roll for lunch (Tingting Noodle Soup is recommended).
1:30 Stroll along the Nanyang arcades and visit a popular cafe.
15:00 Grab a ginger duck for afternoon tea to round off your trip perfectly.
💡Travel Tips
1️⃣ Best time to enjoy Four Fruit Soup: 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM (best for cooling off).
2️⃣ Secret way to enjoy it: Add a spoonful of crushed peanuts and sesame seeds for a richer flavor.
3️⃣ Nearby Connections: Combine it with Luoyang Bridge, Qingyuan Mountain, and Xiapu Village for a 2-day, 1-night Southern Fujian cultural tour.
As the coolness of agar-agar jelly glides across my throat, and the shadows of the arcades block the scorching sun, I suddenly realize: true summer joy lies not in chilled watermelon in an air-conditioned room, but in making something sweet yourself and feeling the warmth of time amidst the ancient streets. This summer, why not visit Quanzhou West Street and let the Four Fruit Soup transport you back to a childhood without air conditioning! 🌴🍧