Before cooking wood mushrooms at home, it is better to familiarize yourself with their detailed description. And preferably one where it will be written about all medical contraindications. Because the product does not have as wide use as other mushrooms. And it's better to be safe.
In China, this mushroom is called muer, tree ear, Judas ear. And his color is black. It grows on the bark of trees, from where it got its name. It is available for sale in dried form, in small bags. It needs to be soaked in water before use.
Wood mushrooms are most often found in recipes with these five products:
The taste of muer is not much like the actual mushroom. More precisely, it does not resemble at all. It smells a little like mud (or it seems that it smells) and this is similar to something marine, underwater. And when you hold it in your hands, you feel something gelatinous, cold, like a jellyfish.
If you're cooking it for the first time, use these tips.
- Do not soak the entire package at once - it is designed for several uses.
- Fill a large saucepan with water so that you don't have to constantly top it up. Expect that one ear will swell and become eight times bigger.
- The minimum time for this procedure is two hours. But it is better to entrust all the nights until morning.
- When the mushrooms grow up, take them out of the water and keep them in the refrigerator.
- Wash well before cooking, and cut off the place where it clung to the bark and throw it away.
- Slice the mushrooms as indicated in the recipe. And in general, cook strictly according to the instructions.