Dried Persimmon and Black Fungus Soup

Why people make this soup

Dried persimmon comes in different varieties — the familiar round, flat domestic cakes and a softer, sweeter variety shaped like a chicken’s heart — and both are worth trying. The softer kind is especially popular with children. In tradition, dried persimmon is regarded as supporting the upright qi and as gentle on the lungs and spleen, and it has long been used to ease coughs, chronic intestinal upset and the bleeding of hemorrhoids. Today’s recipe is one such gentle dish.

Method

1. De-stem the persimmon cakes and cut into pieces. Soak the black fungus until soft and trim the stems.
2. Simmer both in 1.2 L of water for about 30 minutes, reducing to about 600 ml.
3. Stir in brown sugar until dissolved.
4. Drink the soup and eat the ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

Black wood-ear fungus is traditionally regarded as supporting and “holding” the blood; simmered together with dried persimmon, the pair is associated with easing constipation and both internal and external hemorrhoids. If you take Western blood-stopping or anti-swelling medication, you can still have this soup — just leave about 2 hours between them.