Add a sweet ending to your meal with a sweet jelly dessert – peach gum dessert soup (tong sui). It is a Chinese dessert made with natural ingredients, including peach gum, snow fungus, lily, lotus seed, dried longan, red dates, goji berries, and rock sugar. You can enjoy this dessert either hot or cold, perfect for both winter and summer seasons.
- What Is Peach Gum Dessert?
- The Health Benefits Of Peach Gum Dessert
- How To Store Peach Gum Dessert
- Things Needed To Make Peach Gum Dessert
- Steps To Make Peach Gum Dessert
What Is Peach Gum Dessert?
Peach gum dessert is also known as peach gum dessert sweet soup (桃胶糖水). It is classified as Tong Sui (sugar water), a type of Chinese dessert that is particularly a sweet soup. In this variation, it uses peach gum that is jelly-like.
Peach gum is the resin from Chinese wild peach trees. It is hard and dry at first and turns into jelly after soaking in water overnight. Soaking it in water also makes peach gum bigger in size and makes it easier to remove black impurities.
Another main ingredient in this dessert is dried snow fungus, also known as snow ear, white jelly mushroom, and white cloud ears. It is typically bought in Asian groceries and supermarkets. You need to soak this in hot water to rehydrate and make it soft to eat.
Adding texture and flavor to peach gum dessert are lily, lotus seed, dried longan, red dates, goji berries, and rock sugar. Red dates and rock sugar brings out the dessert’s sweetness, whereas goji berries add a hint of tart and sour flavors. Lotus seeds have a subtly bitter taste, complementing the juicy grape-like longan.
The Health Benefits of Peach Gum Dessert
Plants have always been the best source of nutrients. Thankfully, peach gum dessert is made from plant-based ingredients, making it suitable for vegans, vegetarians, and other related diets. Tong Sui dishes like peach gum dessert are popularly sought after for their health and beauty properties.
Each ingredient of peach gum dessert has its own unique nutritional benefits for the body. Here’s a breakdown of all the positive attributes you can get in a bowl of peach gum dessert.
Peach Gum
- A cooling ingredient recommended by doctors of Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Rich in amino acids for a collagen boost to reduce wrinkles and enhance skin
- Promotes sleep and reduces anxiety
- Boosts metabolism and muscle growth
- Improves heart health by decreasing the fat buildup
Snow Fungus
- Contains plant collagen and 17 amino acids, which are known for promoting youthful skin, reducing wrinkles, and increasing fluid production
- Treats respiratory tract infections by nourishing and soothing the lungs
- Immune system booster
- Enhances brain and heart health
- Helps with diabetes or obesity
Goji Berries
- A rich source of vitamins and minerals
- Strengthens the immune system
- Contains high levels of antioxidants that promote eye health
- Supports liver health
- Boosts mental and physical health by promoting sleep
- Reduces cancer growth and slows down tumor growth
- Skin health is improved and aging effects are reduced
- Stabilizes blood glucose levels
Longan
- Helps improve memory
- Contains high levels of vitamin C, which boosts the health of the skin
- Reduces stress hormones which help with insomnia or sleeplessness
- Has antimicrobial properties that boost immunity and energy
- Contains ellagic acid, epicatechin, and gallic acid, three compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties
- Enhances libido by increasing stamina
- Due to its iron content, it prevents anemia
Lotus Seed
- Rich in antioxidants
- May alleviate pain
- May improve heart health
- Blood sugar levels may be stabilized by it
- May support weight loss
Lily
- Enhances the quality of sleep
- Reduces low-grade fevers
- Relieves symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
- Relieves heart palpitations
- Treats and prevents diarrhea
- Enhances concentration and focus
Red Dates
- Vitamin and mineral-rich
- Enhances nutrient absorption and digestion
- Energy and immune system booster
- Promotes protein synthesis in the liver
- Its iron content boosts blood circulation and replenishes the blood
- Calms the nerves and improves sleep
- Boosts skin’s youth with antioxidants
Rock Sugar
- A rich source of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids
- Provides relief from coughing and sore throats
- Boosts energy
- Aids digestion
- Contains fewer calories and is less sweet
- Promotes eye health
How To Store Peach Gum Dessert
To maintain quality, keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator so it does not get contaminated by other foods and absorb odors. You can keep it in the refrigerator for up to three days. To reheat it for warm servings, heat it over low heat on the stovetop until you reach the desired temperature and texture.
Things Needed To Make Peach Gum Dessert
Is peach gum dessert soup on your menu tonight? Prepare these items before you begin. The items are simply your everyday kitchenware. Almost all of the ingredients are commonly found in stores, but the dried peach gum and snow fungus may have to be ordered online or purchased from an Asian grocery.
Kitchenware
- Bowl for soaking peach gum
- Bowl for soaking snow fungus
- Scissors or knife for cutting snow fungus
- Casserole for cooking
- Tweezers (optional)
Ingredients
- 7 pieces of dried peach gum
- 20g snow fungus
- 1 tsp starch (for snow fungus)
- Hot water for soaking snow fungus
- 20g lily
- 20g lotus seed
- 30g dried longan
- 60g dried red date
- 1 liter of water
- 30g dried goji berries
- 250g of rock sugar
Steps To Make Peach Gum Dessert
Although this dessert uses a one-pot recipe, the part that makes it tedious and longer is the preparation of peach gum and snow fungus. Once you have ready and edible peach gum and snow fungus, cooking takes about 30 minutes by leaving it on a simmer.
Here’s how to prepare peach gum and snow fungus and how to cook the entire peach gum dessert.
Prepare The Peach Gum
In a bowl, soak 7 pieces of peach gum overnight or for 12 hours. The result should be a jelly peach gum that is bigger in size.
Clean the peach gum. Pick out the dark impurities or black specks found in the resin. You can use a tweezer or your fingers to pick it out. The peach gum is ready for cooking once all black specks are removed.
Prepare The Snow Fungus
While soaking your peach gum or after the peach gum is ready, you can start preparing your snow fungus.
Put 20g dried snow fungus in a heat-resistant bowl, add a teaspoon of starch, and enough hot water to soak it for an hour.
After soaking for an hour, you should have a soft and hydrated snow fungus. Wash the snow fungus thoroughly by rinsing it and removing any dirt. Drain excess water in a strainer and let it dry.
Cut the snow fungus into smaller chunks with a pair of scissors or a knife. There is a hard yellow-orange center on the snow fungus that must be removed and discarded. All parts of the snow fungus, except the yellow-orange center, will be used for the dessert.
Combine All Ingredients
After preparing the peach gum and snow fungus, you can begin making the peach gum dessert sweet soup.
In a casserole, add the 20g snow fungus, 20g lily, 20g lotus seed, 30g dried longan, and 60g dried red date.
Then, add the jelly peach gum to the casserole.
Pour 1 liter of water into the casserole. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil. Once it boils, simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
Next, add 30g of dried goji berries and 250g of rock sugar. This part only requires 5 minutes or less to cook. Cooking longer than required may produce a strong sour taste from the dried goji berries.
After the sugar has completely melted, it is ready to serve. Serve while hot and fresh. You can also serve it cold by cooling it in the fridge first.
How To Make Peach Gum Dessert (Tong Sui)
Equipment
- Bowl for soaking peach gum
- Bowl for soaking snow fungus
- Scissors or knife for cutting snow fungus
- Casserole for cooking
- Tweezers (optional)
Ingredients
- 7 pieces of dried peach gum
- 20 g snow fungus
- 1 tsp starch for snow fungus
- Hot water for soaking snow fungus
- 20 g lily
- 20 g lotus seed
- 30 g dried longan
- 60 g dried red date
- 1 liter of water
- 30 g dried goji berries
- 250 g of rock sugar
Instructions
Prepare The Peach Gum
- In a bowl, soak 7 pieces of peach gum overnight or for 12 hours. The result should be a jelly peach gum that is bigger in size.
- Clean the peach gum. Pick out the dark impurities or black specks found in the resin. You can use a tweezer or your fingers to pick it out.
- The peach gum is ready for cooking once all black specks are removed.
Prepare The Snow Fungus
- While soaking your peach gum or after the peach gum is ready, you can start preparing your snow fungus.
- Put 20g dried snow fungus in a heat-resistant bowl, add a teaspoon of starch, and enough hot water to soak it for an hour.
- After soaking for an hour, you should have a soft and hydrated snow fungus.
- Wash the snow fungus thoroughly by rinsing it and removing any dirt.
- Drain excess water in a strainer and let it dry.
- Cut the snow fungus into smaller chunks with a pair of scissors or a knife. There is a hard yellow-orange center on the snow fungus that must be removed and discarded. All parts of the snow fungus, except the yellow-orange center, will be used for the dessert.
Combine All Ingredients
- After preparing the peach gum and snow fungus, you can begin making the peach gum dessert sweet soup.
- In a casserole, add the 20g snow fungus, 20g lily, 20g lotus seed, 30g dried longan, and 60g dried red date.
- Then, add the jelly peach gum to the casserole.
- Pour 1 liter of water into the casserole.
- Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil.
- Once it boils, simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
- Next, add 30g of dried goji berries and 250g of rock sugar. This part only requires 5 minutes or less to cook. Cooking longer than required may produce a strong sour taste from the dried goji berries.
- After the sugar has completely melted, it is ready to serve.
- Serve while hot and fresh. You can also serve it cold by cooling it in the fridge first.
