Snow Fungus Sweet Soup with Lotus Seeds (雪耳莲子糖水)

Sometimes I feel like making some sweet dessert soup for my family.  After reading about how great the black fungus/ wood ear and white snow fungus for our bodies, I decided to cook it more often.  Since black fungus has more health benefits, I cook it quite often in stir-frying dishes.  But I don't want to neglect the snow fungus as it has a beauty benefit that makes one face looking younger just like bird nest.  But bird nest is expensive and not everybody can drink it often, whereas snow fungus is really affordable.  I read that in order to have that beauty benefit, you have to eat it at least three times a week.  I couldn't possibly cook it that often but when I do make it, I am making sure I am cooking a big pot and have at least three bowls of it. :-)

Picture with ingredient names listed for your convenient.

All these ingredients have health benefits, not just the snow fungus so this sweet soup is really nutritious.  For example, goji berries is high in antioxidant and vitamins, red dates/ jujubes nourishes blood and replenishes Qi, lily buds is cooling, reduce heatiness, treats cough and helps with insomnia, lotus seeds improves digestion, removes heatiness and calms the spirit.

I have a question to ask.  Does adding sugar to cook together with the snow fungus making it soft and gelatinous?   For this, I added the sugar in the end and the resulted snow fungus was crunchy.

Ingredients:

• 3 little water (水)
• About 3-4 big dried snow fungus (雪耳), soak in water until soften, clean and cut out the bottom hard part, discard.  Cut into smaller pieces.
• 15 red dates (红枣)
• 2 Tbsp. goji berries (枸杞)
• 30 dried lotus seeds (莲子)
• About 1/4 cup dried lily buds (百合)
• Rock sugar to taste (冰糖,调味)

Method:

1. In a 4 little slow cooker, add 3 little water.  Set it to High.

2. Rinse red dates, goji, lotus seeds and lily buds under running water.  Add into the slow cooker.

3. Add the snow fungus and let it cook.  After 4 hours, add rock sugar to taste.

4.  Stir until rock sugars dissolve.  Serve warm or cold.  But for me, it's better serve chilled.

5.  Keep any leftover in the refrigerator and serve chill.