There’s a quiet beauty in the simmering of Snow Fungus Dessert Soup—a dish that embodies both nourishment and tradition. Lightly sweet, subtly floral, and deeply restorative, this Cantonese delicacy has been cherished for centuries, known for its cooling properties and skin-nourishing benefits. Snow fungus is prized for its gelatinous texture and is often used as a plant-based collagen alternative in traditional Chinese medicine. Paired with lotus seeds, barley, lily bulbs, goji berries, and red dates, this dessert is a bowl of warmth, balance, and quiet indulgence. Slow-cooked until the ingredients turn soft and silky, this dessert soup is best enjoyed warm on cooler days or as a cool summer treat, this is one that will gently nourish the body and soothe the soul.

Snow Fungus Dessert Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 whole snow fungus, soaked until soft and cut into small pieces
• ¼ cup dried lotus seeds, soaked for 1 hour and core removed
• ¼ cup barley, rinsed
• 8-10 red dates, pitted
• 2 tablespoons of goji berries, rinsed
• ¼ cup dried longans
• 6 cups water
• ¼ cup rock sugar (adjust to taste)

Steps

1. First we prepare the ingredients. Soak the snow fungus in warm water for about 30 minutes or until softened. Trim off the hard yellow base and cut the fungus into bite-sized pieces.

2. Rinse and soak the lotus seeds, barley, and dried longans separately. Remove the green core from the lotus seeds to prevent bitterness.

3. In a pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the snow fungus, lotus seeds, barley, red dates, and dried longans. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add the rock sugar and stir until fully dissolved. Add the goji berries in the last 5 minutes to retain their vibrant color and delicate texture. The soup is now ready to be enjoyed warm! If you’d like it chilled, place the soup in the fridge once it cools. We hope you enjoy this as much as we do!