Guide to Wood Ear Mushrooms + 11 Recipes

What are wood ear mushrooms? 

Wood ear mushrooms are soft, brown or black in color, with ear-like folds that grow up to 4 inches in diameter. While they have no stem, they do have a gill-less cap with tiny spores that are yellow, cream, or white.

They are very popular in Chinese cuisine and go by many different names like tree ear, black fungus, jelly ear, hei mu-er and kikurage.

But to be honest, it takes a bit of time to get used to it especially in salads. I recommend trying them first in an Asian stir-fry or a Thai curry with other vegetables. That is how I became to love them.

Best substitutes

These mushrooms are quite unique both in texture and in taste and you would think there is not a chance that they have similar substitutes. The good news is that there are a handful of mushrooms which are almost identical.

The closest related mushroom species is cloud ear mushrooms with the same brown color and gummy but coarser texture.

If the color brown is offputting for you, try to look for snow fungus also known as silver ear mushrooms or white jelly mushrooms. They have the same gummy texture but white almost opaque color.

There are many other jelly fungus species most of which are also edible, but let me mention apricot jelly fungus which has the same rubbery texture but has a vibrant pink color similar to a ripe apricot. Hence the name.

If you are looking for wood ear mushroom substitutes among common mushroom types, try dried oyster mushrooms or shiitake mushrooms. They are quite hard and meaty, but rehydrating their dried form will give you an even closer match to the above jelly fungi than using fresh ones.

Where to buy them?

How to store them?

You cannot eat raw dried wood ear mushrooms. You first need to soak or “rehydrate” them before you can use them in any recipe.

These Food Safety Guidelines from Macau especially recommend not to store rehydrated mushrooms and only soak the desired amount you need for the recipe.

Dried wood ear mushrooms can keep for at least 6 months in a cool, dry place. Just store them in an airtight container or in glass jars and make sure you seal them airtight every time you open them.

How to prepare them?

Wood ear mushrooms need to be rehydrated, cleaned and trimmed before they are ready to be used in your favorite recipes. 

Rehydrating

Soak them in warm water for at least 20 minutes. Make sure they are fully submerged. Don’t soak them overnight.

They double or even triple in size over time. When their texture turns from hard and rigid to soft and slippery, drain them.

Cleaning

The next step is to wash them thoroughly to remove any dirt or debris. Gently rub the mushroom between your fingers to make sure there is no grit or sand trapped inside the folds.

Trimming

Using a pair of scissors or a sharp knife, trim any hard parts. You can also cut off the fibrous part at the base. After trimming, you can leave them whole, chop, or slice them, whatever your recipe calls for.

How to cook them?

Even after you rehydrate wood ear mushrooms, you cannot eat them raw, you need to cook, steam or parboil them on high heat to kill any bacteria.

I usually choose stir-frying or sauteing. They are ready in mere minutes so if they are cooked with other vegetables, add them last.

They pair will with potatoes, fermented black beans, bamboo shoots, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, sesame oil, cilantro, onion, ginger, parsley, bay leaves, cucumber, green peas, and tofu.

11 delicious wood ear mushroom recipes 

Thai Red Curry

If you love bold flavors, try my Thai red curry. I promise you won’t be disappointed! Take 6 simple ingredients and 30 minutes later, you’ll have a rich, creamy curry that is loaded with delicious Thai flavors and aromas. Serve it with a hot bowl of basmati or jasmine rice.

Hunan Tofu

This Hunan Tofu recipe features red bell peppers, baby corn, and black wood ear mushrooms. Yuan shows in this recipe how to make a bold and spicy flavor that is still balanced using Hunan-style seasonings like fermented chili black bean paste and Shaoxing wine.

Chinese-style Tofu Minced Pork

Follow Mee Sha’s Chinese-style tofu minced pork recipe and have lunch or dinner in under 15 minutes. Serve it with noodles or rice. It even works great combined with veggies to make a huge salad bowl. Simply put, it tastes absolutely fantastic and is versatile to boot.

Wood Ear Mushroom Stir Fry

This Asian wood ear mushroom stir fry recipe makes for a spicy and crunchy dish that you will love. A fast, easy recipe that’s quick to prepare and even quicker to disappear.

Wood Ear Mushroom Salad

Judy’s classic wood ear mushroom salad brings together simple, staple Chinese ingredients such as soy sauce, black vinegar, scallions, and of course, crunchy wood ear mushrooms, for a dish that’s unmistakably authentic. It will also prove to you that salads can be bold, flavorful, and anything but boring.

Authentic Hot and Sour Soup

Kimberly’s restaurant-style Chinese hot and sour soup recipe is the perfect comfort food dish for a chilly day. It is hearty, filling, satisfying, and very easy to prepare. Serve it in less than 20 minutes and be sure that it will impress your family and friends.

Tonkotsu Ramen

Are you a fan of ramen? If the answer is yes, you definitely want to get your hands on this flavored wood ear mushroom topping recipe for tonkotsu ramen. Once you take one taste of this topping added to your favorite ramen, you’ll be reaching for it time and time again.

Stir-Fried Noodles

Light, refreshing, and done in under 30 minutes, these stir-fried noodle is a recipe you didn’t know you needed. And the star of the dish? Wood ear mushrooms, of course. Packed with great flavors and accented by a delicious crunch of veggies, this one is the perfect one-dish meal for a lovely Sunday night dinner.

Mushroom Dumplings

Combining these mushrooms with crunchy napa cabbage and carrots, will make for a delicious mushroom dumplings recipe. Mary’s recipe will show you how to boil them, steam them and pan-fry them to turn them into wonton, dim sum or potstickers.

Spaghetti with Wood Ear Mushrooms

Karen’s tasty spaghetti with wood ear mushrooms recipe uses Brussels sprouts to make one of the richest and delicious-tasting pasta you’ll ever try. It’s perfect for a quick dinner and also to reheat and have later as leftovers. Who knew brussels sprouts can make pasta taste so good? It is probably thanks to the wood ears though.

Chocolate Coated Cranberry Wood Ear Mushrooms

Wondering whether chocolates and mushrooms can actually go well together? Well, you need to check out this chocolate coated wood ear mushrooms recipe first. Val tell you how to pair these two ingredients to make her festive jelly.