Ginkgo Tofu Skin Job's Tears Sweet Soup

Why people make this soup

The combination of ginkgo nuts and tofu skin is one of those pairings that Cantonese grandmothers have been making for generations — and for good reason. Together they create a dessert that is at once smooth, subtly sweet, and deeply satisfying, while also being thought to clear internal dryness and nourish the lungs. Adding raw job’s tears (also known as Chinese barley or coix seed) takes this classic in a more skin-focused direction: job’s tears are one of the most widely used ingredients in East Asian beauty food therapy, traditionally associated with improving skin texture, reducing pigmentation, and helping to slow visible skin ageing. Nourilo notes that this is a dessert that does double duty — pleasurable to eat and quietly looking after the body at the same time.