Origin
Snow fungus (also called white fungus or silver ear, 銀耳 in Mandarin) grows naturally on dead hardwood in warm, humid forests. Wild snow fungus was once rare and expensive.
Today most of the world’s snow fungus is cultivated in Gutian County (古田) in Fujian, on sawdust in climate-controlled rooms. Smaller, log-grown snow fungus from Tongjiang in Sichuan is also well known. The fungus is harvested when fully open, then sun-dried or oven-dried.
Traditional use
Snow fungus is the base of many Cantonese sweet soups (糖水), simmered with pear, papaya, lotus seeds or red dates and a little rock sugar. It is also added to savoury soups, especially in the dry autumn months.
In Chinese food tradition it is classed as neutral.
Safety
- Soak and cook promptly: soaked snow fungus (and wood ear) left too long at room temperature can grow bacteria that make bongkrekic acid, a toxin that cooking does not destroy. Soak only as long as needed (20–30 minutes), cook it the same day, and refrigerate it if you aren’t cooking straight away.
- Throw it out if soaked fungus is slimy, sticky, smells sour, or has been left soaking overnight at room temperature.
- Leftovers: refrigerate cooked sweet soup within 2 hours, and don’t leave it out overnight.
- Colour: natural dried snow fungus is ivory to pale yellow. Very bright white fungus with a sharp or sour smell may have been sulphur-bleached.
How to cook
- Use 10–15 g of dried snow fungus for 4 servings.
- Soak in cold water for 20–30 minutes until fully expanded (it grows 5–10 times in size).
- Trim off the hard yellow base, then tear into small pieces.
- Simmer 1–2 hours for a silky, slightly thick soup. Add rock sugar at the end for sweet soups.
How to choose and store
Choose dry, light, ivory to pale yellow heads with a clean smell. Avoid very white fungus, a sour or chemical smell, or damp pieces. Store dry fungus airtight in a cool, dry place.
Our recipes that use it
See it in the ingredient guide
This page describes culinary and cultural tradition. It is not medical advice. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or managing a health condition, check with your doctor or a registered Chinese medicine practitioner before using herbal ingredients.
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