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Cool, chilling, and refreshing, this Black Fungus Drink is one of my favorite summer beverages. You only need 4 ingredients to make it and not very much time either.
Black Fungus Drink
I’ve made this black fungus drink many times, but it’s not until recently that I found that I haven’t share it yet. So, here it is!
If you have watched my 1-Year Vegan Journey (it’s in Chinese but with ENG subtitle), you probably heard that I’ve improved my bloating and digestive problem recently. I was asked about how I fix my digestive problem, and one of the answers is including fungus in my diet.
First, I want to make a declaration that I’m not a professional in dealing with digestive issues, so I won’t and cannot be held accountable if this didn’t work for you. Each body is different. I just want to share my tips and experiences here. If you have serious digestive issues, please visit or consult with a professional or doctor.
I’ve read some articles about the nutritional values of fungus, and I actually like them. But I didn’t usually buy them so much, compared to beans or nuts. So I think it never hurt to give it a try, especially when you love the taste of it. And here is an easy Black Fungus Drink recipe that I use to easily include the fungus into my diet.
The main focus of this article is the recipe, so I will not say too much of the “effect.” But if you’re curious, you could check out this video that I share and talk more on this topic. Simply put, I do feel a difference. But what’s more important to me is, I really forgot how refreshing it is, especially in the summer heat.
I didn’t pay much attention to black fungus because I love the white fungus (white wood ear) more. But I believe even though they are “relatives,” they still taste differently and have different nutritional content.
So I just interchange this Black Fungs Drinks with White Fungus Soup. This not only creates more change and fun in terms of making and taste but also lets me subconsciously include different nutrients to my body. I really feel good about it.
It’s quite easy and simple to make black fungus drinks. The process is very similar to making white fungus soup. Basically, you just do 3 steps: Soaking, Blending, Cooking.
The sweetness is totally up to you. I usually add some IMO (isomalto-oligosaccharide) or icing sugar at the end and to taste. You could use other sweeteners of choice.
You could drink it hot, but I prefer cold because this summer heat is really roasting me recently.
If you like sweet soup, check out my Mung Bean & Job’s Tears Sweet Soup and Chickpea White Wood Ear Soup. Both of them are also my staple sweet soup in summer.
黑木耳飲 Black Fungus Drink (Black Wood Ear Drink)
食材
- 40 g dried black fungus (black wood ears) 乾黑木耳
- 8-10 顆 red dates (Jujube) 紅棗
- A handful goji berries 枸杞, 1 小把
- 1000 ml water 水, add more to adjust consistency if you like 依喜好可增加調整
- rock sugar 冰糖, or other sweeteners to taste 適量
作法
- Soak the dried black fungus in water for 6-8 hours. Then drain out the water and rinse them for a few times.
- Soak the red dates and goji berries in some water for about 10-15 minutes until they puff up a little bit.
- While the dates are soaking, tear or chop the fungus into small chunks. Add the black fungus and 500 ml water to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Cut the red dates a bit with scissors. Add the soaked red dates, goji berries, and the black fungus mixture to a pot. Add the rest water to the blender container to kind of "clean" it by shaking a bit, and then add it to the pot as well. I use my pressure cooker to cook for about 15 minutes. You could use an electric pot as well. But it might take a bit longer.
- Once the cooker has finished cooking, let it sit for 20 minutes.
- Finally, add sugar to your taste. Check the consistency and add more water if you like. I personally like to drink it cold, so I often store than in several jars and place into my fridge until it's cold enough.
中文版
- 將黑木耳浸泡於水中 6-8 小時，之後將水倒掉，並清洗黑木耳
- 將紅棗與枸杞浸泡於少許水中，約 10-15 分鐘，讓它們稍微膨脹
- 用剪刀將紅棗稍微剪開，之後再將浸泡過的紅棗、枸杞、黑木耳水糊全放入大鍋中。將剩下的水倒入攪打的調理杯中搖晃幾下，類似清杯子的概念，之後同樣倒入鍋中，我是用壓力鍋煮約 15 分鐘，你也可以用電鍋或電子鍋煮，但可能會需要拉長煮的時間
- 待煮好後，讓它靜置 20 分鐘
- 最後加入糖，試味道依個人口味調整糖量。另外也可以看一下整體質地，若覺得太稠，可以再加適量的飲用水。我個人偏愛喝冰的，所以通常是盛裝到罐中，放入冰箱冷藏到夠冰再享用
