Auricularia auricula-judae

Auricularia auricula-judae, commonly known as wood ear, jelly ear or historically as Jew's ear, is a species of fungus in the order Auriculariales. Basidiocarps (fruit bodies) are brown, gelatinous, and have a noticeably ear-like shape. They grow on wood, especially elder. The specific epithet is derived from the belief that Judas Iscariot hanged himself from an elder tree. The fungus can be found throughout the year in Europe, where it normally grows on wood of broadleaf trees and shrubs. Auricularia auricula-judae was used in folk medicine as recently as the 19th century for complaints including sore throats, sore eyes and jaundice, and as an astringent. It is edible but not widely consumed.

Description

A mushroom. The fruiting bodies are 10 cm across. They are irregular and ear shaped.

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Edible Uses

Auricularia auricula-judae has a soft, jelly-like texture. Though edible, it is not held in high culinary regard. It has been likened to "eating an Indian rubber with bones in it", while in 19th-century Britain, it was said that "it has never been regarded here as an edible fungus". The species is said to be commonly consumed in Poland. A related fungus, Auricularia heimuer, is widely used in East Asian cooking and has often been misidentified as A. auricula-judae. Auricularia auricula-judae has a mild flavour, which may be considered bland. It can be dried and rehydrated, sometimes swelling to 3–4 times in size. The species is not edible when raw, needing to be cooked thoroughly. A 100 g (3.5 oz) reference serving of dried fungus provides 1,500 kilojoules (370 kilocalories) of food energy, 10.6 g of protein, 0.2 g of fat, 65 g of carbohydrate, 5.8 g ash, and 0.03% mg of carotene. Fresh mushrooms contain about 90% moisture. Dried specimens may be ground up into a powder and used to absorb excess liquid in soups and stews, as it rehydrates into tiny fragments.

Traditional Uses

The fruiting bodies are eaten. They are dried and used in stews. They are also used in soups.

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Medicinal Uses

Auricularia auricula-judae has been used as a medicinal fungus by many herbalists. It was used as a poultice to treat inflammations of the eye, as well as a palliative for throat problems. The 16th-century herbalist John Gerard, writing in 1597, recommended A. auricula-judae for a very specific use; other fungi were used more generally. He recommends the preparation of a liquid extract by boiling the fruit bodies in milk, or else leaving them steeped in beer, which would then be sipped slowly in order to cure a sore throat. The resultant broth was probably not dissimilar to the Chinese soups that use Auricularia cornea. Carolus Clusius, writing in 1601, also said that the species could be gargled to cure a sore throat, and John Parkinson, writing in 1640, reported that boiling in milk or steeping in vinegar was "the onely use they are put unto that I know". Writing in 1694, the herbalist John Pechey described A. auricula-judae by saying "It grows to the Trunk of the Elder-Tree. Being dried it will keep a good year. Boyl'd in Milk, or infus'd in Vinegarm 'tis good to gargle the Mouth or Throat in Quinsies, and other inflammations of the Mouth and Throat. And being infus'd in some proper Water, it is good in Diseases of the Eyes." The species also saw use as an astringent due to its ability to absorb water. There are recorded medicinal usages from Scotland, where it was again used as a gargle for sore throats, and from Ireland, where, in an attempt to cure jaundice, it was boiled in milk. The medicinal use of A. auricula-judae continued until at least 1860, when it was still sold at Covent Garden; at the time, it was not considered edible in the United Kingdom.

Distribution

It grows on rotting wood. In Northeastern India it grows between 3,600-4,100 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Africa, Asia, Australia, Britain, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Caucasus, Central Africa, Chile, China, Congo DR, East Africa, Europe, Georgia, Himalayas, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kosovo, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Mozambique, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Rwanda, SE Asia, South America, West Africa,

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Chendawan telinga tikus, Ero ntioke, Kane, Kedzekel, Koko, Kulat telinga tikus, Morddu, Nyorung, Pepeao, Sofinamboa, Tondungol

References (27)

• Boa, E. R., 2004, Wild edible fungi and their importance to people. FAO Non Wood Forest Products Booklet 17
• Brouk, B., 1975, Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press, London. p 59
• Burkill, I.H., 1966, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol 1 (A-H) p 270
• Bussman, R. W., et al, 2021, Unity in diversity—food plants and fungi of Sakartvelo (Republic of Georgia), Caucasus. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2021) 17:72 p 16
• Christensen, M., et al, 2008, Collection and Use of Wild Edible Fungi in Nepal. Economic Botany, 62(1), 2008, pp. 12–23

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