Unlock the ancient Chinese beauty secret with this ethereal treat! It's a dessert AND a medicinal soup that nourishes our skin and health from inside out.
Snow ear and peach gum soup is a popular Chinese dessert known for its nourishing and rejuvenating properties. It's believed to give our skin a healthy glow, promote collagen production, and fight signs of aging. From empresses, princesses, to modern day celebrities, Asian women have loved this soup for literally thousands of years and also one of my absolute favorite treats growing up.
Snow ear mushrooms, also known as snow fungus, or white jelly mushrooms, are commonly used in Chinese cuisine and even traditional medicine. These mushrooms are low in calories and fat, and they are a good source of dietary fiber. They are also believed to possess various health benefits, such as supporting the immune system, promoting healthy skin, and aiding in digestion.
There are many ways to eat snow ear but perhaps the most iconic way is to combine them with peach gum, jujube dates, lotus seeds, and goji berries to make this refreshing, delicate dessert soup.
INGREDIENTS:
1 large dry snow ear mushroom
1/3 cup dry peach gum
Handful of (adjust amount based on your preference) -
Lotus seed
Goji berry
Jujube dates - do NOT substitute for Medjool dates!
Rock sugar
Water
TO MAKE:
- Soak the peach gum overnight until they're soft and there is no hard center;
- Soak the snow ear for 1 to 2 hours until it's rehydrated, tear into small pieces;
- Transfer the snow ear and peach gum into a clay pot or enamel pot, add enough water to cover all the ingredients, you can add more or less water based on how thick or thin you want the soup to be;
- Cover and bring the pot to a gentle simmer, let it simmer over medium-low heat for 40 minutes to 1 hour, I like to let it simmer longer to get the ingredients all gelatinized and the soup always becomes a jelly consistency;
- Meanwhile, wash some lotus seeds, goji berries, jujube dates, and you can also add some dry longan;
- Once the snow ear reaches your preferred softness, add in the rest of the ingredients, cover, and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes;
- Sweeten the soup with rock sugar right before you remove it from heat;
- Serve hot or cold, enjoy!