Wood ear mushrooms

[christy319]

I've looked at the Asian markets in Seattle (99 Ranch, Uwajimaya, and others) for dried wood ear mushrooms, and I can't find anything labeled as such. They turn up in local restaurant dishes so they can't be THAT hard to find, and I'm wondering if they go by another name. I was looking at some packages just labeled "black fungus" at 99 Ranch today wondering is that was it. Ideas?

[christy319]

Thanks everyone!!

[Chemicalkinetics]

Like others said, wood ear mushrooms have many other names, so look for those as well. Wood ear mushrooms are usually sold in the dried herb section along with dried shiitake mushrooms, goji berries, lotus seeds, ...etc

More importantly, wood ear mushrooms look like this when dried:

http://web.tradekorea.com/upload_file2/sell/46/S00014546/wood_ear_jew_s_ear_black_fungus.jpg

and look like this after soaked:

http://koreanathome.files.wordpress.c...

So if the black fungus mushrooms look like above photos, then they are your wood ear mushrooms.

[JungMann]

Wood ear, cloud fungus and black fungus are the three English names I usually see for the mushroom in question.

[ricepad]

Cloud fungus/cloud ear mushrooms are white.

[Chemicalkinetics]

It can be confusing, I think:
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2254/25...

[cecilia]

According to wikipedia, Black Fungus is another name for Wood Ear.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_ea...

[alkapal]

black fungus is your wood ear. http://www.driedshiitakemushrooms.com...