Recipe
Snow Fungus and Bird's Nest Sweet Soup
50 minutes
Ingredients
- · 1 pre-soaked dried bird's nest (about 5g dry weight)
- · 1 small snow fungus, soaked and torn into small florets
- · 5 red dates
- · 3 cups water
- · Rock sugar to taste
Method
- 1Soak the snow fungus in water for 30 minutes until fully softened, then tear into small florets, discarding the tough base.
- 2Simmer the snow fungus and red dates in water for 30-40 minutes until the fungus turns slightly gelatinous.
- 3Add the soaked bird's nest and rock sugar, simmer gently for a further 15 minutes.
- 4Serve warm or chilled.
Snow fungus (white fungus, 雪耳/银耳) is prized in its own right for its jelly-like texture and mild flavour, and pairs naturally with bird's nest since both soften into similar silky textures when stewed. This is a popular combination precisely because the two ingredients complement rather than compete with each other.