Auricularia heimuer (Black Wood Ear, Heimuer) — Species | WeMush Taxonomy

Auricularia heimuer

Black Wood Ear, Heimuer

Auricularia heimuer F. Wu, B.K. Cui & Y.C. Dai (2014) is the black wood ear that dominates commercial production in East Asia. Phylogenetic work on the A. auricula-judae complex showed that the cultivated 'Heimuer' of China is a distinct species: true A. auricula-judae is European and not known from East Asia. Fruit bodies are ear- to cup-shaped, gelatinous and rubbery when fresh, darker than A. auricula-judae (especially in cultivation), and dry to a hard, horny state that fully rehydrates. It is a saprotroph of dead broadleaf wood, especially oak.

Edibility: Edible. Valued for crunchy, cartilaginous texture rather than flavor; staple in Chinese soups, salads and stir-fries. Cook thoroughly. Like other Auricularia, contains compounds with antiplatelet activity; heavy consumption is a caution for people on anticoagulants.

Habitat: Saprotroph on dead broadleaf wood, especially Quercus; cultivated on logs and, far more commonly, on supplemented sawdust bags.

Difficulty: BEGINNER

Growth: moderate

Contam Risk: low

Cultivation Suitability

Preferred Substrates

Supplemented hardwood sawdust (oak)

Hardwood logs

Distribution

Temperate northern China, Russian Far East, Korea and Japan. Cultivated widely in China.

Known Strains (0)

No strains cataloged yet for this species.

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