Chinese Dried Black Mushrooms

These ‘black’ mushrooms actually range from light brown to dark brown in colour. The most popular are the larger-sized, light brown ones with a highly cracked surface. They are, predictably, the most expensive ones. But all versions and grades of this mushroom add a very desirable flavour and aroma to Chinese recipes. It is interesting to note that these mushrooms grow on fallen, decaying trees; the Chinese have been gathering them for over a thousand years. The Japanese cultivate them by growing them on the shii tree; hence the familiar, fresh shiitake mushrooms.