Wood ear (Auricularia auricula-judae) is an edible fungus named for its ear-like shape and its habit of growing on dead or dying wood. It has a dark brown to black colour, a thin, rubbery body, and a distinctive crunchy-yet-slippery texture when cooked.
Wood ear has been used in Chinese cuisine for over a thousand years and remains a staple ingredient in soups, stir-fries, and salads across East and Southeast Asia. It is prized for its texture rather than its flavour, which is mild and slightly earthy. It is also used in traditional Chinese medicine.
The fungus grows naturally on hardwood trees in temperate and subtropical forests worldwide. It is now widely cultivated, particularly in China, which produces the vast majority of the global supply.
How it's produced
Wild wood ear is foraged from dead or decaying hardwood logs, particularly elder, beech, and oak. It fruits most abundantly in cool, wet conditions and can be found year-round in suitable climates.
Commercially, wood ear is cultivated on logs or sawdust-based substrate bags inoculated with fungal spawn. The bags are kept in humid, shaded growing houses and produce multiple flushes of mushrooms over several months. After harvest, the majority of wood ear is dried for sale, as it rehydrates well and has a long shelf life. China dominates commercial production, accounting for the vast majority of dried wood ear on the global market.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated from its category — typical for mushrooms, not measured for this item yet. Sources & methods →
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