Chinese Hot-and-Sour Soup

When made with the best ingredients, this soup is redolent of mushrooms, the pepper is aromatic but not biting, and the soup has a brothlike consistency, rather than gelatinous from too much cornstarch.

Traditionally, this soup is made with pork and pork broth, but any meat and any broth will work. In fact, it is particularly good with duck. For the best results, look for dried shiitake mushrooms with caps that have a network of fissures revealing white flesh. Depending on their siz