Mushroom House Dried Woodear Mushroom, Black Fungus, 1 Pound

I could not find a better deal on dehydrated Chinese woodsear fungi mushrooms. They do come in very large pieces so it helps to break them up into bite size pieces before rehydrating. They make Hot 'n Sour soup and aqll meat dishes extra special. They are very mild tasting but have a great crunch to them and enjoyable mouth feel.

Dried Woodear Mushrooms have been a wonderful discovery for my cooking. They rehydrate in about 15 minutes, maintaining a perfect texture that adds a delightful crunch to my dishes. The subtle, earthy flavor enhances soups and stir-fries. Easy to use and versatile, these mushrooms are now a staple in my pantry. Highly recommended! Hot and Sour Soup is what I use these in 99% of the time.

If you are familiar with wood ears, GET THIS ITEM. They are beautiful, HUGE examples of the species, at a fantastic price compared to the little 2 and 3 ounce packages you find at the Asian markets. If you are unfamiliar with wood ears, DO NOT GET THIS ITEM. Get a smaller size to see if you like them first. Wood ears are unlike any other type of mushroom or fungus you are likely to have run into. They don't look like, taste like, or have the consistency of shitakes, oyster mushrooms, Crimini/Portabellos, or (insert favorite mushroom here). They have a distinct, rubbery consistency and subtle flavor, and are typically used in small amounts in dishes such as hot and sour soup - not as a main ingredient. If you get them expecting them to be something they are not, you will be disappointed. If I bought zucchinis expecting them to be cucumbers, I would be upset too. But at myself, not at the seller.

These are very tasty. If a recipe calls for a half cup, they are impossible to measure because they are so big and stiff. However, Once soaked in very hot water, they soften nicely. then they become floppy and are almost the size of of a lettuce leaf and must be cut or chopped to use in a mixed veggie recipe. BTW, the attachment part of the "leaf" is hard and should be cut off, once softened and it should be discarded. The good news is this: They come in a shredded version. It looked like a bag of curley uncooked black linguini.. Now that THAT seems like it's the easier way to go, and is much easier to measure. If you are using golden threads or lily flowers (as in mu-shu) the shredded blacks would soften to about the same size and texture. Shredded black wood fungus are available the Amazon site. Go with them and not these.

These are the biggest & most beautiful wood ear I have ever seen! After soaking... 2 of them took up a whole paper towel & 1 was bigger than my hand! I can't wait to throw them in my next few dishes. Excellent quality & price... just hit the BUY button now! You won't find better.

Great Product ! This a huge bag of Mushrooms ! Great for the price. They stay good for an extended period of time. Have a good mushroom crunch more than regular mushrooms. Not a lot of flavor tho, more for texture and look. They are good for you tho... A must have for Hot and Sour Chinese Soup! Makes me wonder what regular Button Mushrooms would be like dried ...

I've had dried woodear mushrooms before... many times. These are too big and old and tough. No amount of pre-soaking helps, and neither does cooking them afterward. Taste is bad, disappointing, as the texture is also off... I am used to that gelatinous/firm yet delicate texture and these were like cardboard.

So I'm not a dried mushroom aficionado, but these mushrooms seem great for the price. I use them for Asian inspired soups and they fit the bill perfectly. I also make giant pots of soup, and even then I expect this bag to last a LONG time. They rehydrate well, the texture is good, and I don't see any mold indicating improper dehydration.