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1
Soak the snow fungus in cold water for a minimum of 2 hours, or until fully expanded. Cold water soaking is required; hot water soaking produces a rubbery texture. When rehydrated, the fungus should be cream-white, fully expanded, and slightly translucent. Yellow or brown colouring indicates old stock — discard such pieces. Trim away any hard yellow base. Tear the expanded fungus into smaller clusters.
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2
Place the lotus seeds in cold water and inspect each one. Remove the bitter green germ at the centre by splitting the seed and extracting it with a skewer or fingernail. The germ is intensely bitter and no amount of sweetness or cooking time will correct its presence in the finished soup.
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3
Combine the prepared snow fungus, lotus seeds, red dates, pear wedges, and tangerine peel in a pot with 1 litre of cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer and maintain that simmer — never a rolling boil — for 45 minutes. Vigorous simmering produces a rubbery fungus. The fungus should soften progressively and release its polysaccharides into the broth, giving the soup a light, almost silky body.
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4
Add the dried longan in the last 10 minutes of simmering. They contribute a gentle caramel-honey sweetness — the classic pairing for snow fungus soup.
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5
Add rock sugar in small increments, stirring to dissolve fully between additions. Rock sugar melts more gradually than granulated, producing a more delicate sweetness and a subtle glossiness. Taste after each addition. The sweetness should arrive gently and recede cleanly with no lingering heavy sugar note. The pear, red date, and tangerine peel should be identifiable as aromatic support. A tong sui that is too sweet cannot be corrected.
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6
For sago: bring a large pot of water to a full boil. Add the sago pearls and stir immediately to prevent clumping. Cook at a steady boil for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. At 8 minutes, examine the pearls closely — each should be translucent with a pinpoint of white remaining at its centre. This is the moment that decides the dish: remove the pot from the heat immediately and cover with a lid. Allow to rest, covered, for 5 minutes. The residual heat completes the cooking. Pearls left on heat beyond this point dissolve into a glue-like paste that cannot be recovered.
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7
Drain the sago and rinse under cold running water until the pearls are completely cool and each one is fully translucent, distinct, and bouncy. Any cloudiness or clumping at this stage indicates overcooking.
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8
Combine the rinsed sago with coconut milk and rock sugar over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add mango — diced or puréed according to preference. The mango must be at peak ripeness; underripe fruit produces a sharp, acid-dominant result. Taste and adjust sweetness; if the soup is to be served chilled, add slightly more rock sugar, as cold reduces perceived sweetness. Serve warm or chilled.