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Chinese medical traditions →

Sweet soup with white fungus, lotus root and jujubes

Strengthening dessert soup with rock sugar.

Traditional use

Time
Preparation 15 min (plus 15 min soaking), cooking 1 h 5 min
Makes
4–6 people
Snow fungus (bai mu er)

A tonic as a dessert or snack. According to tradition white fungus, lotus root and jujubes balance the blood, give energy and help with fatigue and weakness.

Ingredients

  • 1.5 litres water
  • 80 g rock sugar, broken
  • 2 dried white fungi, soaked, hard core removed, roughly chopped
  • 12 pitted jujubes, rinsed
  • 300 g lotus root, peeled, thinly sliced

Step by step

  1. Bring the water and sugar to the boil.
  2. Add the white fungus, jujubes and lotus root.
  3. Simmer gently covered for an hour.
  4. Eat the soup warm.

Tips

  • A split vanilla pod during cooking, or a tablespoon of vanilla extract at the end, adds flavour; according to tradition no other flavourings.
  • Instead of (or as well as) lotus root you can use soaked lotus seed.

Registry

Herbs in this recipe

Read more about effects and safety on each herb’s page.

  • Caution

    Asia · Mushroom · № 652

    Snow fungus (bai mu er)

    Tremella fuciformis

    Traditionally attributed effects: a tonic for the yin energy and the lungs; supports breathing, energy and a balanced blood pressure.

    Chinese medical traditions
  • Caution

    Asia · Food · № 131

    Sacred lotus

    Nelumbo nucifera

    Almost every part is used: seeds for diarrhoea and restlessness, rhizome as food, leaf for 'summer heat'. Scientific evidence is mostly laboratory research.

    Ayurveda+3Folklore
  • Caution

    Asia · Food · № 636

    Jujube (red date)

    Ziziphus jujuba

    Traditionally attributed effects: sweet and strengthening in fatigue, anaemia and low energy; builds strength and blood and softens herbal dishes.

    Chinese medical traditions+2

Cultures and traditions

Where the herbs come from

The herbs in this recipe also appear in these traditions.