Wood Ear Mushroom: Nutrition & Benefits
Crunchy texture, very high fibre: common in Chinese and Northeast Indian cuisine.
Wood ear (named for its ear-shaped, slightly translucent cap) is sold dried almost everywhere and rehydrates to nearly five times its size in water. It's a staple in Chinese and Northeast Indian cooking, valued far more for its distinctive crunchy texture than for flavour, which is mild.
Wood Ear mushroom nutrition facts (per 100g)
Wood ear mushroom nutrition stands out for one number in particular: 5.8g fibre per 100g, by far the highest of any mushroom in this guide, at just 25 kcal and 144mg potassium.
Wood Ear mushroom benefits
- 5.8g fibre per 100g: the highest fibre content of any mushroom covered here, useful for digestive and satiety purposes.
- Very low calorie density (25 kcal/100g) relative to its bulk once rehydrated.
- Distinctive crunchy texture that holds up well in soups and stir-fries without going soft.
How to use wood ear mushroom
Rehydrate dried wood ear in warm water for 20–30 minutes before use; common in hot-and-sour soup and Sichuan-style stir-fries for its crunch.
Trivia
CulinaryWood EarTap to reveal a factSold dried almost everywhere: it rehydrates to nearly 5x its size in water.
Frequently asked questions
Its standout feature is fibre (5.8g per 100g, the highest of any mushroom in this guide) combined with very low calories, plus a crunchy texture that's valued in Chinese and Northeast Indian cooking.