Hot and Sour Soup

Pour hot water over the dried shiitake mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms separately and leave for 20-25 minutes until fully softened. Drain in a colander, squeeze out well, and cut into thin strips, first trimming off the tough stems from the shiitake.

Cut the tofu into batons and the bamboo shoots into thin strips, and grate the ginger finely. Lightly beat the eggs with a fork in a separate bowl. Stir the cornstarch into 3 tbsp cold water until smooth and lump-free.

In a thick-bottomed pot, bring the broth to a boil over medium heat, add the ginger, softened mushrooms, and bamboo shoots, and cook for 5 minutes.

Pour in the soy sauce, add the tofu, and simmer for another 3 minutes over low heat.

Pour in the cornstarch mixture in a thin stream, stirring the soup continuously with a spoon in a circular motion, and cook for 1-2 minutes until the soup thickens to the consistency of a thin kissel.

Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Pour in the beaten eggs in a thin stream while continuously stirring the soup in a circular motion — they will immediately set into thin ribbons; let sit for 20 seconds, then gently stir.

Remove the pot from the heat, add the black rice vinegar, season with ground white pepper and salt to taste, and stir.

Stir in the sesame oil and serve the soup immediately while hot, sprinkled with chopped green onion.