Sweet Soup with White Wood Ear Mushrooms

When I was a kid, my mom would plop a bowl of this down and tell me, “Drink this, it’s good for you.” Now, to be fair, Chinese people say that about a lot of things (see Five Nuts and Seeds “Chowder,”), but with this soup, I believe it. I’ve had it when I was feeling feverish, when I’ve been overheated, when I’ve had headaches—and it always made me feel better. The secret is the white wood ear mushroom, or snow fungus, with its anti-inflammatory benef