INTRODUCTION

This is quite a classic Cantonese dessert commonly served in Cantonese restaurants and believed to “clear” lungs, improved complexion, improved intestinal conditions and breast enhancement. It can be as simple as the three ingredients as in this recipe or there are many things that you can add to the sweet soup..

I accidentally double boiled the dessert for a solid 16 hours.. It become gelatine like dessert, gooey and yummy.. Such type of texture is the same as those concentrated bird nests desserts and that is the reason that people are preparing this costly bird nest sweet soup with the belief that it will enhance moisture retention in the skin.. I cannot vouch that it is true but it did convinced me with such texture. In fact, white fungus or snow fungus is long considered as an excellent ingredients to improve skin complexion and as an alternative for bird nests. A good grade snow fungus can be rather costly too.

Most recipes called for braising or double boiling of 3-4 hours, I did that and i took my images immediately after 4 hours since I am rushing out. You can see that in some picture, the white fungus has not disintegrated yet and looks rather crunchy. After the photo shooting session, I put the dessert back to the slow cooker and I totally forget about it until I woke up in the next morning. It really transformed into gelatine or collagen type of gooey liquid. It is extremely yummy that my kids did not complain at all.

The main ingredients in this sweet soup are snow fungus and papaya. As shared before in my previous post:Snow Fungus Pear Sweet Soup （冰糖银耳炖雪梨）Snow fungus is a type of mushroom and has long been famous to have the following properties by Traditional Chinese Medicine:

• Improve the skin completion

• Nourishes and moistures the lungs

• Probable  lowering of blood sugar and inhibit increase in cholesterol level

• Reduce symptoms of constipation, dry cough, dry skins and respiratory discomfort.

• improve immune systems

• Improve retention of bodily fluids

As for papaya, Chinese medicine believes that papaya is warm in nature (性温）， it is neither too heaty nor cooling. According Chinese Medicine, papaya is believed to: have the following properties  (Source:http://www.askdrmao.com/natural-health-dictionary/papaya/)

• Lung lubrication

• Kill intestinal worms

• Increase milk production in lactating women

• Heal skin lesions

• Sooth Indigestions and stomach aches

• Alleviate irritability brought by warm weather

Putting these two together apparently is a very good dessert for lung lubrication that is suitable for this hazy weather. 

” 木瓜银耳糖水是一道美味可口的汉族名点，属于粤菜系。制作简单，口感良好。滋补美容丰胸的佳品。补充营养，提高抗病能力。将银耳用温水浸透泡发，洗净撕成小朵，削皮去籽，切成小块；银耳、木瓜和冰糖一起放入锅里，加适量水煮开，然后转小火炖煮30分钟-1个小时，即可食用。木瓜含有丰富的维他命a及c和纤维，当中的水溶性纤维更加有助平衡血脂水平，还能消食健胃，对消化不良具有食疗的作用。有丰胸作用! 银耳性平、味甘淡，有滋阴、润肺、养胃、生津、益气、补脑、强心之功效。不但适宜于一切妇孺、病后体虚者，且对女性具有很好的嫩肤美容功效。银耳和燕窝的功效差不多~~所以我真的超级爱银耳的~~这道银耳木瓜糖水是一道滋养糖水。常食用能养阴润肺，滋润皮肤，防止皱纹过早出现，保持皮肤幼嫩，延缓衰老。可治疗燥热咳嗽、干咳无痰等等。“ （Source: http://baike.baidu.com/view/4702571.htm)

WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings: 4-6 adult servings

Main Ingredients

• Some papaya （木瓜）

• Some snow fungus （雪耳）

• Rock sugar to taste (冰糖）

Optional Ingredients

• Some apricot kernels (南北杏）

• Pandan leaves (香兰叶）

• Lotus seeds (莲子）

• Goji berries (枸杞）

* Quantity is intentionally omitted as this is a flexible recipe. A bit more or less of each ingredients are acceptable, If you are unsure, use the equal volumes of papaya and snow fungus.

STEPS OF PREPARATION

• Cut the papaya into small pieces , You can also chopped the papaya, if preferred. Set aside.

• Soaked the snow fungus until full expandable. Cut away the yellow stem at the bottom. For the white colour portion, cut into small pieces. Transfer the snow fungus to a small porcelain pot that can fit into a slow cooker. Add the chopped papaya and rock sugar. Add enough water to cover the snow fungus. Double boil using slow cooker for at 3-4 hours or until your desired texture.

Note:

• In this illustration, I have double boiled the snow fungus for about 18 hours. if you have time, let it continue boiling and snow fungus boiled for 4 hours will have very different texture with those snow fungus who have been stewed for long hours. As it boils, the snow fungus will secrete gelatine like of substances which is very soothing to the throat.

• If you do not have slow cooker, you can try boiling over the stove, pressure cooker, thermal flask or even rice cooker soup function. The final ultimate desired outcome is a thick and concentrated dessert. Timing will differs between different gadgets.

• If your volume is a lot, you do not need double boiling. You can just put everything in the slow cooker and add enough water to cover it.

• Feel free to add things that you liked such as apricot kernel, pandan leaves etc. Even red dates can be added.

CONCLUSION

Once again, a bowl of dessert will not create a difference but it will make a difference if it was factored into your dessert menu. I hope readers will give it a try on this simple, delicious and cheap Chinese traditional dessert commonly served it is restaurant.It is extremely timely for this hazy weathers. If you never try, just imagine you are enjoying a cheaper bowl of bird nests sweet soup.

Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

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