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Snow fungus peach gum dessert or 银耳桃胶糖水 is a regular in my home, I make this at least once a month. Ever since my teen years, my mummy has been making all kinds of ‘beauty soup’ or ‘tong shui’ (糖水 in Chinese), such as Bird’s Nest with Sweet Potato and Taro Balls, Tang Yuan aka Chinese Glutinous Rice Balls soup, sweet potato soup, green bean soup, red bean soup. These sweet soup tong shui desserts are widely popular, in almost every foodcourt in Singapore, you can find a stall selling only these sweet soup desserts, warm and cold types.
Why is Cantonese dessert so popular?
Tong shui is a Cantonese name which literally means ‘sweet water’. Originated from Cantonese cuisine, from Canton, Hong Kong and Macau, many of these sweet tong shui soups have elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Common ingredients such as goji berries, red dates, snow fungus, black sesame, etc are commonly added to these tong shui desserts for health purpose. These ingredients are not expensive and are readily available in most supermarkets and groceries stores in Asia. These sweet soups are believed to have medicinal or nourishing benefits, that helps balance the heatiness or dampness in the body, and promotes better skin while boost longevity. The taste is also quite balanced, neither too sweet nor too salty nor anything too extreme, just like the typical Cantonese cuisine.
When do you serve tong shui?
Tong shui is usually served at the end of the Chinese meal. Some of these tong shui shops in Singapore are extremely crowded at night, especially after dinner and during supper time. It’s also a good social practice, enjoying a nutritious bowl of tong shui and chatting around families and friend. People also enjoy it in-between meals. Such as this snow fungus peach gum dessert, I like to warm it up for breakfast or as a night indulgence while I watch Netflix.
What is snow fungus peach gum dessert?
The snow fungus peach gum dessert is a traditional Chinese sweet soup that typically combines snow fungus, peach gum, dried longan, red dates, goji berries, lotus seeds, dried lily bulbs, simmered in water with rock sugar or honey. The snow fungus breaks down into a soft, gelatinous base, while the peach gum turns into little translucent pearls that add a gentle chew. It’s a soothing dessert that can be enjoyed warm or chilled. And since I always make it at home, I can add more ingredients as I like. Beyond its elegant mouthfeel, this dessert is often linked to wellness and beauty in Chinese food culture.
Where does snow fungus come from?
Snow fungus or 银耳 is known for its medicinal benefits, including its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and may also promote brain health, improve skin complexion, help control blood sugar levels, lower heart disease risk, and boost immune system. Grown on trees, it’s a type of edible mushroom that belongs to the Tremellaceae family. Its other names include silver ear, snow ear, white wood ear, and white jelly mushroom. The dried snow fungus comes in different sizes and usually round in shape with a pale yellow shade. You got to hydrate it by soaking it in water, and within 30 minutes it will expanded quite a bit. Once cooked, it has a soft, jelly-like texture that’s almost translucent.
Where does peach gum come from?
Peach gum or 桃胶 is the resin harvested from peach trees. When bought from the store, it’s extremely hard. You got to soak it in water for hours before it expands into soft gelatinous texture. Peach gum is celebrated for its collagen‑like components and is frequently touted as a more affordable alternative to bird’s nest, with benefits for skin elasticity and joint health.
Watch how to make snow fungus dessert on YouTube
Ingredients for making snow fungus peach gum dessert
Making snow fungus peach gum dessert is simple but requires a little planning.
Peach gum needs to be soaked overnight to expand and soften, then rinsed to remove any dark impurities. Some Traditional Chinese Medicine shops might have the ‘cleaner’ version where the impurities are always cleansed and removed.
Snow fungus is soaked for about 30 minutes until plump. You got to cut it into smaller pieces and discard the centre hard core.
Then simply place all the ingredients (except the dehydrated peach gum, goji berries and sweetener) into a pot of water, bring it to a boil and then simmer for about 30-45 minutes. In the last 5 minutes, add the peach gum, goji berries and sweetener (can be rock sugar or honey) and it’s ready to serve.
How to store snow fungus peach gum dessert
The snow fungus peach gum dessert is best enjoyed while warm. The soup will thicken after cooking, giving the soup a silky and luscious texture. Since I usually cook a big pot, I’ll place the cooled pot of the dessert into the fridge to chill. If kept in the fridge, it’ll remain good for up to 3 days. It can be enjoyed warm or chilled. To warm it again, simply scoop out the amount you want, transfer it into a smaller pot and simmer over low heat.
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Snow Fungus Peach Gum Dessert 银耳桃胶糖水
Detailed Step-by-Step Video
Ingredients
- 1 big snow fungus, about 35g
- ¼ cup peach gum, washed
- 10 red dates, washed
- 10 dried longan, washed
- 15 dried lily bulbs, washed
- 10 lotus seeds, washed
- 2 tbsp goji berries, washed
- 2 litre water
- 1-2 tbsp rock sugar or honey or unrefined brown sugar, optional
Instructions
- Soak 1/4 cup peach gum overnight until it expands and turns soft and gelatinous. Then drain from water. Note: Soak with more water as the peach gum expands quite tremendously. After soaking, trim the peach gum into bite-size.
- Soak 1 big snow fungus for 30 min until it expands and softens. Then drain from water. Cut into small pieces with scissors, leaving out the centre dark yellow part of the snow fungus, which is too hard to consume. Note: Soak with more water as the peach gum expands quite tremendously. After soaking, trim the peach gum into bite-size.
- Remove the seed from 10 red dates.
- Add 1 big snow fungus, 10 red dates, 10 dried longan, 15 dried lily bulbs, 10 lotus seeds, 2 litre water into a big pot. Bring to boil on medium high heat. Then reduce to simmering for another 30 minutes. Add more water if the water reduced.
- Do a taste test, add 1-2 tbsp rock sugar or honey or unrefined brown sugar if required.
- Add 2 tbsp goji berries and 1/4 cup peach gum, simmer for 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Enjoy it warm or chilled. Keep in fridge and it will be good for up to 3 days.
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