Wood ear mushrooms (A. polytrich) are a type of jelly fungus used most commonly in Chinese cooking. This type of fungus has been collected and eaten in China dating back to 200-300BC as a food and as a medicine.
Find the mushrooms fresh or dried in Asian markets. The fungus gets its name from the shape which resembles an ear. The back side of the mushroom has an almost-velvet look and feel.
The fresh wood ear mushrooms shown on this page are beautiful dark brown but almost translucent. You can also find these dried. These mushrooms are commonly used in soups or in a stir-fry; sometimes combined with tiger lily buds. The fresh mushroom has a slightly crunchy texture but is almost flavorless. The mushrooms will absorb flavors from the other ingredients in the recipe and add an interesting texture too.
Fresh wood ear mushrooms should be boiled for about 1-2 minutes before using to kill any bacteria that might exist. Wood ears are one of the key ingredients in hot and sour soup.
If you don't have wood ear mushrooms you can substitute one of these alternatives:
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