Silver Fungus and Lotus Seed Soup

银耳莲子羹

Silver Fungus and Lotus Seed Soup — Soup & DessertSuzhou home cooking.

Ingredients

• dried silver fungus (snow fungus)
• dried lotus seeds (unsalted, skin-on)
• rock sugar
• water

Instructions

1. Rinse dried silver fungus under cool water; remove hard yellow base (the 'stump') and tear into small, bite-sized pieces. Soak in room-temperature water for 3 hours until soft and translucent. (Fungus expands to 4–5x original size, edges curl gently, jelly-like sheen appears.)
2. Rinse soaked silver fungus and drained lotus seeds together in a fine-mesh strainer. Discard soaking water. (Water runs clear after second rinse.)
3. Combine silver fungus, lotus seeds, and water in a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce to low heat. (Tiny bubbles rise steadily at edges, surface barely shivers.)
4. Simmer uncovered for 75 minutes, stirring gently every 15 minutes with a wooden spoon. Skim off any foam that forms on top. (Liquid turns pale amber and slightly viscous; silver fungus threads separate and float freely.)
5. Add rock sugar and stir until fully dissolved (about 3 minutes). Turn off heat and let cool slightly before serving warm or chilled. (Liquid glistens uniformly; no undissolved crystals visible at bottom.)