The weather in autumn tends to be dry, making the lungs susceptible to infection, so extra attention should be paid to diet. To moisten the lungs and relieve summer heat in the fall, drinking soup is the best method. It is beneficial for promoting urination, detoxifying, relieving summer heat, and quenching thirst. When making soup in autumn, pairing it with tremella (silver ear fungus) yields even better results, as tremella has the function of nourishing the lungs and moistening dryness. There are many ways to prepare tremella soup, and here are three highly recommended recipes for you to consider.
Rock Sugar Tremella and Lotus Seed Soup
Rock sugar tremella soup is a traditional Han Chinese sweet snack. It has a smooth texture and a sweet, mellow flavor. It can nourish yin, stop coughs, moisten the lungs, resolve phlegm, moisten the intestines, and stimulate the appetite, with a delicious taste.
Method:
1. Rinse the tremella to remove impurities and soak it in clean water for about 2 hours.
2. Change the water once or twice during the soaking process until the tremella turns white and expands.
3. Trim the root ends of the soaked tremella, tear it into small pieces, and place it in a pot with rinsed red dates. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 1 hour.
4. Add the cleaned goji berries and continue to simmer for another 20 minutes.
5. Before turning off the heat, add rock sugar and stir until it dissolves.
Lily and Lotus Seed Tremella Soup
Using lilies to make a thick soup or congee can also involve adding other ingredients or traditional Chinese medicines. For example, adding tremella helps to moisten the lungs; adding mung beans can enhance the effect of clearing the heart and detoxifying; and adding coix seeds can also eliminate dampness.
Method: Remove the cores from the lotus seeds and cook them with lilies in an appropriate amount of water until they are tender. Add rock sugar to taste. Alternatively, use 60 grams of fresh lilies or 30 grams of dried lily powder, cook with 100 grams of japonica rice to make a congee, and sweeten with sugar or honey. Consume for dinner or in the afternoon.
Rock Sugar Osmanthus and Lotus Seed Tremella Soup
Rock sugar osmanthus and lotus seed soup is a delicacy with a sweet flavor. It has the benefits of nourishing yin and blood, strengthening the spleen, and calming the mind, and can be used to treat neurasthenia.
Method:
1. Soak one and a half heads of tremella in water for an hour and a half. Remove the yellow base. Change the water frequently during this process to leach out any undesirable substances, such as sulfur, from the fumigation process.
2. Red dates also need to be soaked, but soaking the lotus seeds is optional. My family doesn't eat lotus seeds, so I skip this step.
3. Place the soaked tremella and rock sugar in a pot with water, bring to a boil over high heat. Be sure to add enough water initially, as the tremella absorbs water and some will evaporate during cooking. Adding water later will definitely affect the texture.
4. When the soup is boiling, stir it occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the pot.
5. Add the soaked red dates and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for over an hour until the syrup thickens and becomes sticky. Remember to stir with a spoon during this time.
6. Sprinkle with osmanthus. Don't skip this step, it makes the soup fragrant~ After the Start of Autumn, the weather becomes dry and the lungs are easily infected, leading to lung problems. Therefore, autumn health regimen naturally includes moistening the lungs, removing dampness, and reducing internal heat. Tremella and lily have a lung-moistening effect, so it's appropriate to drink some tremella soup in the fall.