What is a snow sponge?
Snow fungus, known formally as tremella fuciformis and informally a series of names including silver ear, cloud ear and shirokicuugege, is a type of jelly mushroom that is widely distributed in Asia and part of North America. Although it is not very popular in western cuisine, it plays a role in Asian cuisine and medicine, where there is price for immune strengthening and combat properties of cancer. Like other types of jelly, this fungus has a special appearance and texture that can be uncomfortable for people who are not used to it. It could also be wrong in snow from a distance, which is likely to origin the name. The sponge of a wide lamp tends to shake for a similar consistency due to its jelly and can be found in damp forests during the autumn. It often occurs near other jelly, such as Wood ear mushrooms and witch butter.
in the texture is a fungus of snow mushroom slightly crispy and at the same time retains gUmové resistance. The crispness of the fungus will be maintained by the cooking process and is often added to add fries and similar dishes to add texture diversity. In the taste, this component is relatively unimpressed and undoubted, although very well accepts other flavors. Due to the strange texture, some consumers do not like it very much: serve it at dinners with different options or experimental guests if you do not know that your guests are used to it.
Snow fungus can be found fresh as special markets when it is in the season and should be solid, even if the consistency has trembled. Place it in a paper bag in the refrigerator up to one week before use. Avoid any pieces that are colored or slimy to the touch. This ingredient also includes canned and dried on the Asian markets. The preserved version should be drained and rinsed before use, while dried mushrooms can be rehydrated in boiling water. Some shops also sell snow mushrooms in the form of a nutritional supplement.
Thre is a wide range of ways to use snow mushrooms. The sponge is most often used in fries and you may want to experiment by adding a sample to another Chinese food. However, it can also be roasted in butter like many other mushrooms, added to the oments or thrown into the stuffing. In addition, it can create an interesting range of desserts after being soaked in a sweet flavored syrup of your choice overnight.