Auricularia auricula
Auricularia auricula
Common Name: Wood Ear, Jelly ear
Type: Gourmet, Medicinal
This mushroom is popular in China, where it is added to soups and other dishes. It has a rubbery texture- so rubbery, in fact, that it’s not really considered an edible species by many in North America.
The Jelly Ear has a number of potential medicinal applications. Traditionally, it was boiled in milk or alcohol to treat sore throats. More recent research has shown potential applications for lowering cholesterol and suppressing tumor growth. The Jelly Ear is a common mushroom found fruiting naturally in forests all over the world. When cultivated, it is usually done outdoors on logs. Research has shown potential for this mushroom to be a “secondary forest product”.