Kikurage

Kikurage is an edible fungus that grows on dead or fallen trees such as mulberry, elm, willow, and pomegranate. The Chinese written characters describe this fungus as “wood ear”, because its shape resembles the human ear. But the Japanese use a different set of characters, which mean “wood jellyfish.” Because of its crunchy texture, kikurage reminds the Japanese of the popular edible jellyfish.

Kikurage is sold dried and looks like chips of wrinkled bark. It comes in two colors, black and pale gold. Black kikurage is more abundant and less expensive and, therefore, more popular than the pale gold variety. The pale gold kikurage, which is softer and more digestible than its black counterpart, has for centuries been treasured by the Chinese for its curative properties. But in the Japanese kitchen, the black type is predominantly used, in many ways—stir-fried, steamed, simmered, and in soups.