Snow Fungus Soup (銀耳湯 – yin er tang) is a sweet dessert soup from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It is a very simple dessert and is known for a plethora of beneficial properties. It is one of my favorite things to make when I feel like I need a boost. One of its main properties is hydration so it is almost like a form of edible skincare!
The soup itself is lightly sweetened and incredibly filling due to the nature of the highly fibrous snow fungus and jujube dates. I also think it is super fun to eat
Texture warning: The soup has a jelly/slimy texture that is not for everyone. If you are not the most adventurous with textures, this recipe may not be the one for you. But please try it before you judge!
Yield: A big pot – can serve 10 bowls ish
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 bulbs of Snow Fungus/ Tremella (銀耳 – yin er)
- 20g of Goji Berries (枸杞 – gou qi)
- 78g or around 18 Jujube Dates (紅棗 – hong zao)
- ~44g Rock Sugar (冰糖 – bing tang) or your choice of sweetener
STEPS:
- Soak snow fungus in cold water for 2-3 hours or until the fungus doubles in size and becomes fully hydrated
- Rinse goji berries and jujube dates under cold water
- Using a small pairing knife, score the jujube dates in half around the pit. Twist the two sides apart then pull the seed out
- Once the fungus has doubled in size, use a pair of scissors and cut off and discard any yellow patches. If you have bought snow fungus that has already been processed, you may be able to skip this step. But if it is in its original bulb form, the yellow patch will be in the bottom middle of the fungus
- Using your hands, rip the fungus into smaller pieces and rinse it under cold water
- Add the fungus into a pot along with enough water to submerge everything. Bring it to a boil and leave it to simmer for 10min
- After the 10min, the soup should not have changed too much. Add the goji berries, halved jujube dates, and the sugar. Stir and leave it with the lid on to simmer for 3-4hrs (occasionally give it a stir).
- You will know it is ready when the soup becomes thick and the fungus become almost jelly-like. You can also describe it as slimy or gloopy. Please note that the quality of the fungus can change the “goofiness” of the soup so it may take more or less time to reach the desired consistency. You can use a pressure cooker to speed up this process.
- Enjoy it hot or cold!
STORAGE:
Place in airtight containers and store in the fridge up to 1 week.
BENEFITS FROM TCM (traditional Chinese medicine):
***This is not medical advice
Snow Fungus –
- hydrating = good for skin and hydrating your whole body
- boost immunity = has antioxidant properties
- anti-inflammatory = calming effect
- used for helping respiratory, heart, and digestive issues
Goji Berries –
- high in antioxidants
- high in vitamin C
- beneficial for eye health
Jujube Dates –
- high in vitamin C
- helps digestion = good source of fibre
- traditionally used for stress release
- (also it just tastes really delicious – good little snack)
