Black Fungus, Notoginseng, and Red Date Soup

Black Fungus, Notoginseng, and Red Date Soup

　　Benefits: Warms cold hands and feet, promotes blood circulation and regulates menstruation, prevents facial dark spots, and nourishes lungs while replenishing blood and qi.

　　 Ingredients (per serving): 1 liang (50g) black fungus, 3 qian (9g) notoginseng, 10 red dates, 2 slices of ginger

　　 Instructions:

　　 1. Soak the black fungus until soft, remove the hard stems, and chop.

　　 2. Wash the notoginseng and chop or crush it; wash the red dates, gently tap to loosen, and remove the pits.

　　 3. Combine the above ingredients with the ginger slices in ten bowls of water. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then simmer over medium heat for about two hours. Finally, add an appropriate amount of salt to taste.

　　 Notes:

　　 Black fungus has a sweet and cold nature, and can nourish blood and qi, lower lipids, moisten the lungs, stop bleeding, and disperse blood stasis.

　　 Notoginseng has a slightly sweet, slightly bitter, and slightly warm nature, and can dispel blood stasis and stop bleeding, reduce swelling, and promote coronary artery blood circulation.

　　 Dark spots on the face are related to poor blood circulation and qi stagnation, as well as malnutrition of the skin. Black Fungus, Notoginseng, and Red Date Soup can help balance nutrition and invigorate qi and blood circulation.

　　 Soup-Making Secrets Here!

　　 Blanching:

　　 When cooking meat, always blanch it to remove gaminess and foam. The method is to add one or two slices of ginger to water, bring it to a rolling boil, then add the meat and cook for two to five minutes (depending on the size and thickness of the meat). After that, remove the meat and rinse it with clean water. Discard the water used for blanching and replace it with fresh water before bringing it to a boil again. Then proceed to make the soup.

　　 Add Ingredients After Boiling:

　　 "Soup" is a common term in Hong Kong, meaning to make a delicious and well-prepared pot of soup, equivalent to "cooking a good soup." Remember, when making "soup," you must first bring the water to a rolling boil before adding the ingredients—never add the ingredients to cold water and then bring it to a boil. Soup made by adding ingredients only after the water has boiled tastes better and won’t stick to the bottom. Making soup also requires continuity—you should not add water or salt midway. Season only after the soup is fully cooked.