Snow Fungus Sweet Soup With Red Dates and Lotus Seeds

Growing up in the southern part of China, I have tasted various kinds of Chinese sweet soups. However, the snow fungus sweet soup with red dates and lotus seeds has always been one of my favorites. It can be served as a dessert after dinner, as breakfast or as an afternoon snack. I personally really enjoy having a bowl of iced snow fungus sweet soup in hot summer afternoons.

The ingredients of this sweet soup are comparatively healthy and nutritious. According to traditional Chinese medicine, snow fungus is a good tonic for the elderly and especially helpful for those with weak respiratory and immune system. It nourishes the lungs and is effective as a home remedy to treat dry coughs, including a dry throat. Also, the high collagen content of snow fungus also makes it a great food for our skins. My grandmother always asked me to take snow fungus more frequently in order to keep my skin stay

clear, youthful and wrinkle-free.

  dried snow fungus (good quality dried snow fungus
  is slightly yellowish in color)

Moreover, red dates, another ingredient of the sweet soup are also have great nutritious value. They are said to “stimulate the production of white blood cells, which improves immunity, and decrease the levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream, helps protect the liver.” Also, “Though they are eaten by everyone, red dates are especially popular with women for their claimed beauty and health effects, because they are renowned for enriching and replenishing blood.” (http://www.cits.net/china-guide/china-traditions/chinese-dates.html)

red dates 

Like red dates and snow fungus, lotus seeds are also great for our health. They are a rich source of phosphorus, protein, potassium and magnesium and they contain very low level of sugar, sodium, cholesterol and saturated fat. Traditionally, they were used to treat people with insomnia since they were known to have effect in alleviating restlessness.

Yet, what the best of this soup is that it is really simple to make! The following is my recipe for the snow fungus sweet soup with red dates and lotus seeds.

Ingredients (you can find all these ingredients in Chinese grocery stores)

·         1 piece dried Snow Fungus, about the size of your palm

·         10-15 dried Red Dates – pitted

·         10-15 dried lotus seeds

·         1.5 liter Water

·         Rock Sugar (can use ordinary sugar or honey instead)

Instructions

1. Soak snow fungus in a large bowl filled with water for about 15 minutes or until soft. The snow fungus will expand in water, about 1-2 times its original size, and become almost translucent.

2. Remove and rinse under a running tap to remove dirt particles. Using your hands or scissors, cut off the discolored parts and hard stem. Next, tear snow fungus into small florets. Rinse thoroughly and drain the water.

3. In a large pot, add the soaked snow fungus and the other ingredients (except rock sugar).

4. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer slowly for about 30-45minutes. When the water turns brown in color and all ingredients are tender, then add rock sugar to taste.

Depends on your preference, you could choose to have it immediately or put it into refrigerator and drink it later. Also, as a fan of coconut, I really like to add some coconut milk into the soup and in fact the soup works well with many kinds of dairy products. So feel free to add milk/ coconut milk/ soy milk/ almond milk in to the soup!