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Ya Li Pear and Snow Fungus Sweet Soup
Ever tried cooking Chinese Ya Li pears in a slow simmer along with snow fungus, red dates, and rock sugar? I know it sounds weird, but this dessert soup is one that my Grandma often made for us when we were little, especially when we were catching a cold or having sore throats. It has been a long while since I had this soup, so it was so exciting when I found the recipe in Roti n Rice and knew that I must make it, if only for nostalgia sake :)
Not everyone knows what a snow fungus looks like, so I hope the photo above gives enough of an idea. They are sold dried, and look very much like dried white flowers. Once you soak them in water, they will become soft again, with texture very much like the wood ear fungus. As for the rock sugar, they come in small translucent cubes in a plastic bag. If you have trouble finding them, regular sugar can be used instead. As for the pears, my Grandma always used Ya Li variety, but there is no harm in using other kind of pears.
The length of cooking time is pretty flexible, with a simmering time of as little as 30 minutes to 2 hours. With a slower simmering time, you end up with a crunchier texture for the snow fungus and the pears will still be quite firm. If you are like me, who prefer their snow fungus turns a bit toward jelly like texture and the pears almost fall off their skins, then go for a longer simmer. In fact, a slow cooker is perfect to prepare this sweet soup. ♥
Ya Li Pear and Snow Fungus Sweet Soup
Ingredients
- 500 gram Ya Li pears (about 3)
- 1 dried snow fungus, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes
- 8 dried jujube fruits (Chinese: hong zao), soaked in cold water for 30 minutes
- 30 gram rock sugar
- 1 1/2 liter water
Instructions
- Cored and quartered the pears.
- Trim the snow fungus to remove the yellow bits, tear into small pieces.
- Place the pears, snow fungus, dried jujube fruits, rock sugar, and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Turn off heat and serve hot or warm.
Comments
Try adding some quail eggs. The taste of the eggs with the soup will give you a dessert you never forget.
Thank you for the tips! Will try it next time :)
Thank you, tried it but i like it cold better
Snow fungus nave nutritious like bird nest only much cheaper. It keeps our skin beautiful from within.
do we need to peel the pear's skin? and after simmering, how can your snow fungus stay in white color? thank you
Hi Ellis, you don't have to peel the pears if you don't want to. Usually I don't when I got some great organic pears, but otherwise, I feel safer to peel. So this part is totally up to you.
As for the snow fungus, the longer you simmer, the more translucent it will be. This also totally depends on the brand of snow fungus you bought. Some are easier to become jelly like, some are harder unless I cook for 4 hours or so. I am certain this particular batch was made with the ones harder to become jelly like.
Do we have to cook for so long (2 hours)??
Hi Lidya, I give a range between 30 minutes to 2 hours. This range is mainly to get the snow fungus to desired softness. I find different brands of snow fungus behave differently and need different cooking times to reach the softness that I like. So please start checking after 30 minutes of cooking time, and if you are happy with how soft your snow fungus is at that moment, you can stop cooking and there is no need to continue cooking for another 1.5 hours. :)
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