Attack of the Snow Fungus!

Of the many odd foods our journey has taken it, perhaps no name has generated so much shock as "snow fungus". An entire "fruiting body"of snow fungus vaguely resembles a human brain, white and full of folds, and it has a spongy, gelatinous texture. The snow fungus is found on trees, but it doesn't feed on the wood, in fact it feeds on other fungus, devouring its brethren to grow. This bizarre member of the same family that gives us yeast and mushrooms, its seaweed-like branches reach outward several inches from its host. Clearly, it is not of this world!

Snow fungus can be found dried in Chinese and other Asian grocery stores looking like dried, slightly yellowed balls of... stuff. Once reconstituted it is oddly flavorless, ye pleasant. One could feel as if chewing on nothing, but a jelly-textured nothing. It is valued in Chinese medicine, and nutritionally rich in vitamins, minerals, and protein, and can be used in a variety of ways. Most often, it is used for deserts and soups, although it is pictured above as an entree, cooked with shredded chicken, sesame chili oil, and an unflavored one adorns the rice (with enoki and oyster mushrooms as sides). Adapted from this recipe, which I'm not entirely sure we understood, but nevertheless delicious, here is a fantastic way to enjoy this spongy food.

Snow Fungus and Shredded Chicken

1 Chicken Breasts, grilled
1 oz Snow Fungus
1/2 tbsp Sesame Oil
1/2 tbsp Sesame Chili Oil
1/2 tsp Powdered Chicken Base
2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce (light in color, not salt)
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
2 tbsp Sesame Seeds

Step 1: Soak the Snow Fungus in water for an hour.

Step 2: Rinse off, and then remove the tough center. Then shred the Snow Fungus into pieces.

Step 3: Boil the Snow Fungus for 10 minutes. Drain well.

Step 4: Wile the Fungus is boiling, grill a chicken breast. Any method will do, we used a Foreman Grill. Shred the chicken when finished.

Step 5: Mix the Snow Fungus and Sesame Oil, Sesame Chili Oil, Chicken Base, Light Soy Sauce, Sugar, Salt, and Lemon Juice. Light stand for 5 minutes, then mix in shredded chicken.

The result will be a delicious, spongy feast, which is far more filling than you might expect, so don't let the name throw you off this delightful food.

Next Time: Sean and Katrina confront the great purple vegetable, the terrifying Eggplant!

The Stir Fry Bok Choy of Li Shizhen

Somewhere in the back of Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong, tucked in between Century Death Eggs and Pork Dust (or Pork Fu, as the label calls it) we found Bok Choy, a version of cabbage that's leafy and more closely resembles spinach. Its delicate flavor and crunchy texture mix well with stir fry, and no doubt contains all of cabbage's health benefits and ability to scare small children. They contain glucosinolates, which prevent cancer in small doses and kill you in large, so never eat cabbage, or bok choy, raw. It also has tons of fiber, so you can poop!

We found a stir fry recipe and modified it a bit, but you probably can't go wrong by changing it a lot.

Stir Fry Bok Choy:
Serves: 4-5 with rice
Time: 15 minutes

Equipment:
large wok or large uncoated frying pan

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp minced ginger
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 bundles bok choy, chopped, separate leaf from white stem
2 scallions, sliced, separate leaf from white stem
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup water
sesame oil

Step 1:
Heat cooking oil on the wok until hot, and then add the ginger and onions. Cook until soft (less than a minute).

Step 2:
Add the white of the bok choy and scallions. Cook for a minute.

Step 3:
Add the greens of the bok choy and scallions. Cook until wilted (2 minutes).

Step 4:
Add the dark and light soy sauces, and the water. Cook for a couple of minutes, until dish is soft and aromatic.Drizzle with sesame oil.

The dish was tasty and light, but with the rice made a reasonable meal. We drank unsweetened green tea alongside it, which matched well.

Next time: Sean and Katrina explore drinks made form hand lotion, and candy made from mashed rice. Be there!