Skip to main content

Snow Swallow Dessert ~ 天然野生雪燕

 


Natural Wild Tragacanth Gum 'Snow Swallow' or Xue Yan is a gum derived from different varieties of sterculia trees.  It's actually a sap drained from the root of the plant and  the gum dries as it exudes and is then collected.  Once rehydrated will increase to about ten times in size and their white stringy, jelly like strands texture resembles that of the much prized and highly valued bird's nest.  One thing to take note when cooking this dessert is that the gum is highly soluble in water and cannot be boiled too long.
Since it is 'cooling' for our internal organs, the elderlies should take this in moderation and not recommended for nursing mums for the breast milk may cause the baby to purge.



Snow Swallow Dessert  ~   天然野生雪燕

Ingredients

  • 8 gm Snow Swallow gums
  • 10 gm red dates
  • 10 gm goji berries
  • 20 gm dried longan
  • Rock or piece sugar to taste
  • 1 litre water
  • Pandan leaves (optional)
Method
  1. Soak the Snow Swallow gums in plenty of water for at least 8 hours or overnight.  Remove any impurities.
  2. Boil the red dates and pandan leaves in 1 litre of water for about 30 minutes.
  3. Add in the dried longan and goji berries, simmer for about 10 minutes, then add in the snow swallow.  Simmer for another 10 minutes.  Add in rock or piece sugar to taste.
  4. Serve warm or preferably, chilled.

                                                                                                                        

Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks for dropping by. Please click on 'Anonymous' if you do not have a blog but do leave your name after the comment because I would like to know who you are.

Popular posts from this blog

Mini lime marmalade chiffon cake

These little chiffon cupcakes were made with lime marmalade.  Other than orange marmalade I've never come across lime marmalade and so this went into my shopping basket when I was in Perth last.  It's slightly more sour than orange marmalade but it's delicious when you have it with butter or peanut butter slathered on a slice of freshly baked bread or toast!
51 comments
Read on for the Recipe

Kai Chai Paeng aka Little chicken biscuit

K ai Chai Paeng or 'Little chicken biscuit' was one of my father's favourite item to take away whenever we stopped by Bidor, a small town south of Ipoh on the way to Kuala Lumpur, long ago before the North-South Highway came into existence.  Those days, Bidor's famous restaurant, Pun Chun ,was like a half-way house whereby travellers would stop by for their signature 'Ngap thui meen' or duck thigh noodles. Pun Chun restaurant is right in the middle of town along the main road and has been in operation for 70 years and their Kai Chai Paeng were of the thick, doughy type made with lard and some pork but now they also have the thin and crispy version. Another small town, known as Kampar which is nearer to Ipoh is also famous for their thin and crispy version of  Kai Chai Paeng.  However,  I'm not too sure which town is the originator of these 'chickenless', unique but absolutely aromatic 'Little chicken biscuit'.
24 comments
Read on for the Recipe

Braised Pork Ribs with Yam & Wood ear fungus

I bought this yam/taro from a wet market and the lady assured me that her yams are creamy when cooked.  She cut off a very small piece to justify her statement and true enough I saw some powdery substance on the knife.  It can be very frustrating when you end up getting a yam that's firm even when cooked for yams have a hardy taste with a minimal amount of sweetness.  But if you pair it up with some meat and fermented bean curd, the dish will be transformed into a tasty delicacy. Recipe for Braised Pork Ribs with Yam & Wood Ear Fungus Ingredients 750 gm Yam/Taro, peeled and cut into chunks 450 gm pork ribs, marinated with some seasalt 30 gm wood ear fungus, soaked, stemmed and cut into strips 2 pieces fermented beancurd (Nam Yue), mashed with some water 1 small knob ginger, smashed 5 cups water or more 1/2  tsp  dark soya sauce Salt and sugar to taste 2 tsp Shaoxing wine Method In a wok, saute th...
28 comments
Read more