Snow Fungus Dessert

Traditional Chinese Medicine - Benefits of White Fungus Soup for the skin stimulates collagen production 

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Snow fungus is especially beneficial for its skin-beautifying properties. It is a rich source of vitamins & collagen, it has superior water-retention properties compared with Hyaluronic acid. It draws moisture & nourishes the skin. It stimulates skin renewal and even inhibits melanin production to reduce pigmentation and wrinkles formation from traditional herbs used since thousands of years ago. 

Snow Fungus Soup 银耳甜汤

Ingredients材料 (serves 2-3)

1. Red Dates 6-8 pcs ; 红枣6-8颗，

2. Snow Fungus 25-30g ; 雪耳 25-30g

3. Wolfberries/Goji 10g ; 枸杞子10g，

4. Rock sugar 30g ; 冰糖30g (can be adjusted to individual taste; skip if diabetic)

5. Water 1500ml ; 清水1500ml

6. Dried Longan (optional); 桂圆肉 (可选)

Method做法

1. Wash & soak the snow fungus in cold water till it becomes soft and translucent (around 2-3hrs). Change the water once or twice. Drain, cut off the stem(hard yellowish part) and cut into smaller pieces. 雪耳用清水浸泡至少3小时，期间每隔半小时换一次水，泡发后剪去蒂部，撕成小块，沥干水分备用

2. Wash the Goji berries. 把枸杞子洗净备用

3. Wash the red dates and remove the seeds and cut into half. 红枣洗净，去核沿着横截面切成一半。

4. Boil the water and put in the ingredients. Boil for 40mins. Add the goji berries & rock sugar during last 10mins. 把清水倒入锅里烧开，放入所有材料，加盖中火煮40分钟。枸杞子与冰糖到最后10分钟才加入。

5. Serve warm or chilled. 糖水可食用。

Tips小诀窍

1. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking to bottom. 煮糖水期间，要不时用勺子搅拌，避免粘锅。

2. Use cool water to soak the snow fungus to prevent loss of nutrients. 浸泡雪耳要用冷水，别用热水，防止营养流失。

3. Instead of rock sugar, honey or dried longan can used as sweetening agents too. 也可使用蜜糖或桂圆肉。

4. If you like the fungus to be even softer like jelly, you can increase cooking time to 60mins or more. 若喜欢银耳更软，可炖一小时。