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Compared with Westerners, Chinese people are generally not fond of sweets, and even among those Chinese possessing a sweet tooth, their preferences can be quite different from their counterparts in Europe or America. While Westerners may find it difficult to resist the temptation of rich desserts such as chocolate cake and ice cream, Chinese usually go for lighter-taste sweets with less sugar and fat content. In terms of ingredients, glutinous rice often plays the role that flour takes in Western desserts, and instead of chocolate, traditional Chinese desserts are frequently made with red beans, sesame, dates, or lotus seeds, because for Chinese, nutrition and healthfulness are considered to be as important as good taste in their desserts. Sesame, for example, is rich in vitamin E and contributes to healthy looking hair and helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol. High in protein and minerals, red beans are believed to be good for the stomach and spleen, and lotus seeds are regarded as helpful for good complexion. For their nutritional value, sesame paste, red-bean soup, and lotus-seed soup with dates are the most common Chinese desserts.
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