Simple Hot and Sour Soup

1. Place shiitake mushrooms and cloud ear mushrooms in a bowl of water; soak until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain and finely chop the mushrooms.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil; add tofu and cook for 1 minute. Remove using a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Bring water back to a boil and add bamboo shoots; cook for 1 minute. Drain and set bamboo shoots aside.

3. Mix vinegar and white pepper together in a bowl.

4. Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Add bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and ham; return to a boil. Add tofu, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and salt; bring back to a boil.

5. Mix corn flour and water together in a bowl until dissolved; stir into chicken stock mixture until soup starts to thicken. Drizzle beaten eggs into soup, stirring gently to form cooked egg clumps, 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Stir vinegar-pepper mixture into soup and drizzle in sesame oil.

Cook's Notes:

Dried cloud ear mushrooms (also known as black wood fungus or wood ear), fresh bamboo shoots, dried shiitake mushrooms and Shaoxing wine can be purchased in Chinese specialty shops.