Szechuan fish soup ingredient -- what is it? I got a fish-and-pickled-cabbage soup the other day at a Szechuan restaurant that had these things in it that looked kinda like this. They were translucent off-white, about 2 inches long, and maybe an inch across. They had a light but chewy texture, and at first I thought it was some kind of tripe. What is this stuff?
From your description, if it isn't tripe, then it is probably Bamboo Fungus.  This is often used in soup an other dishes and has a neutral flavor.  The texture can be from soft to slightly crunchy depending on the length of cooking.