Cordycep Flower Soup ~ Confinement food ~ 猪骨虫草花汤

I had my first taste of Cordycep flower soup in a Chinese restaurant and didn't hesitate to ask the waitress what were those curly, twisty, crunchy and chewy 'strings' in the soup.  Her reply was that they were Cordycep flowers (scientific name Cordycep Militaris), a sort of woody cultivated mushrooms. According to traditional Chinese medicine, Cordycep flowers do have some nutritional health benefits, such as nourishing the lungs, improve sleep, reduce fatigue just to name a few.

After cooking, you may notice that the soup has a hint of orangey colour.

Cordycep Flower Soup ~  Confinement food ~  猪骨虫草花汤
Ingredients
25 gm dried cordyceps flowers, rinsed,

450 gm soft pork bones for soup

10 seedless red dates

10 gm goji berries

20 gm yuk chook

2.1/2 lt water

seasalt to taste

Method

Blanch the pork bones in hot water, drain, rinse and set aside

Boil 2.1//2 lt water in a pot and once boiling, add in the dried cordycep flowers, 

red dates, yuk chook and pork bones.  Bring to the boil

Cover and let simmer till meat is tender and flavour of soup is enhanced

Add in goji berries and let simmer for another 10 mins.

Add seasalt to taste

Serve hot