Wood ear

Wood ear

　　The Jingpo Lake forest area features vast mountain ranges, dense tree cover, a warm climate, and abundant rainfall, making it ideal for the growth of black wood ear.

Black wood ear is an edible fungus belonging to the class Basidiomycetes and the order Auriculariales. It is saprophytic, growing on dead tree branches and trunks. Its flat shape resembles a human ear, hence the name “wood ear,” also known as black wood ear. Fresh wood ear is gelatinous, semi-transparent, dark brown, elastic, while dried wood ear has a raised back, a concave front, a shrunken body, and a horn-like texture.

Jingpo Lake experiences high temperatures and frequent rain in summer, and the temperature, humidity, and ventilation in the broadleaf forests here are all very suitable for wood ear growth.

Black wood ear contains a lot of dry sugar gum, rich protein, fat, phosphorus, calcium, and other nutrients, making it a high-protein tonic. The wood ear from the mountainous areas around Jingpo Lake is large in size, thick in flesh, and delicious in taste. It is excellent whether stir-fried, served cold in a salad, or used to make soup. It is also a good traditional Chinese medicinal herb. According to *Compendium of Materia Medica*, wood ear is not only highly nutritious but can also treat hemorrhoidal bleeding, postpartum weakness, rheumatism, and lower back and leg pain. It also helps strengthen the body and remove dust, making it an essential health supplement for textile workers.

In the Jingpo Lake area, besides collecting wood ear from the mountains, people also cultivate it artificially by drilling holes in oak wood segments and inoculating them with spores to grow large quantities of wood ear.