Muer (auricularia auricularia): description and useful properties

Muer mushroom (Chinese black wood mushroom) has long conquered the market. And all thanks to a mass of useful properties. Legend has it that the mushroom appeared on the tree where Judas, who betrayed Jesus, hanged himself. People saw the resemblance to the ear and called it Judas Ear.

What is this mushroom muer.

Only in its native land is this delicacy called muer, in other countries it is "wood ear", "Judas ear". In Japanese it translates as "tree jellyfish". It was originally in Japan as part of dishes served at imperial receptions. Tiger lily combined with muer was considered the height of sophistication.

The Chinese, as lovers of various exotics, have been using the mushroom since antiquity. Later, trading with the East, European countries - Scotland, Ireland, Germany - began to buy the product.

What does the mushroom look like

This black woody mushroom is thin and fragile, similar to oyster mushrooms. At first glance, it looks as if it has charred paper or abalone in front of it. Auricularia auricularis grows close to the tree, as its stalk is short. The stiff flesh is very thin and translucent. The mushroom is rough on the outside and smooth on the inside. It is up to 10 centimeters in size. As it dries, it slightly decreases in size and hardens. The spores are white and ellipse-shaped.

Actually, there are two types of muir: hairy and ear-shaped. But the most famous is the second one, it is more attractive in appearance. The first has a fluffy gray-brown top with gray-white flesh.

Where does it grow

Most often found mushrooms in the forests of China, Thailand, Vietnam, less often - in eastern Russia. They prefer trees of the alder family: oak, alder, maple, elderberry. Muir is parasitic on weakened and dead trees. Rarely grows alone, it is usually a sprawling colony.

What does muir taste like?

It is a mushroom with a sweetish, crispy flesh and a slight smoky smell. Because of its neutral flavor, muerte goes well with many foods. It is added to cold salads and appetizers, first and second courses, as a main dish is not prepared because of the same taste neutrality.

Composition and calories

In terms of protein content, mushrooms are not inferior to meat and can replace it. Muer can be included in dietary diets because it is low in calories (30 kcal) and has a number of vitamins (C, D, group B), amino acids, calcium, potassium, phosphorus will prevent avitaminosis.

Useful properties of mushrooms

Due to the presence of protein, vegetarians and people leading a healthy lifestyle can use this product in any dish without hesitation. In terms of iodine, which is indispensable for the normal functioning of the thyroid gland, it is not inferior to seaweed, seaweed and chuka. It is also a good natural antioxidant that helps to eliminate free radicals. Nicotinic acid helps the body regenerate and renew itself faster. Enzymes contained in muera prevent the formation of blood clots. Polysaccharides increase immunity, reduce the likelihood of cancer.

Mushrooms are useful for diabetes, anemia, obesity, hypertension, because they reduce cholesterol, improve heart and vascular function. Heparin prevents blood clotting and fights blood clots. Frequent consumption of muir relieves irritation of the stomach mucosa and normalizes its acidity. The product will help to cope with edema and premature aging.

Harm and contraindications

The mushroom is not toxic, you will not get mixed up with poisonous analogues. But such a specimen also has its own disadvantages.

1. Muir is dangerous and is contraindicated for people with liver diseases.
2. In allergic people can provoke a strong reaction in the form of skin dermatitis and eczema.
3. The mushroom is contraindicated in children because the body at this age lacks the enzymes that allow the digestion of chitin.
4. It is not recommended for pregnant and lactating women.
5. Do not forget that in the wild, muers can absorb substances that will cause poisoning and food disorders.

The use of muer mushrooms in medicine

Eastern medicine is famous for its desire to use as many natural resources as possible for various medicinal tinctures, ointments.

1. The remedies made from muer are used to treat skin diseases and also have a healing effect.
2. Long knowing the useful properties of the delicacy, Chinese healers have been treating diseases of the throat and eyes with it. Used as a mild antibiotic, affecting the upper respiratory tract.
3. The mushroom, having absorbent properties, can be an alternative to activated charcoal in severe poisoning. It is used for the prevention of diseases of the digestive tract.
4. Muir is used even in the recovery period after chemical and radiation therapy.
5. Auricularia fights clots and prevents their formation.

How to choose and store muir properly

Most often the mushrooms are sold in dried form in oriental spice stores at quite reasonable prices. It is important that they be dry, with no moisture on the package. An even black or dark gray color is ideal. But more often you will find light-colored varieties on sale. The product is not good if white and green spots are visible. Most likely at some stage of packaging or transportation moisture got into the package and mold formed.

If dried mushrooms are stored in a dry place, the shelf life can be up to 5 years. If, however, after cooking a certain amount of soaked mushrooms left, it is advisable to use them within 2-3 days.

How to cook mushrooms muerte: Recipes

It is a fact that this delicacy has almost no mushroom flavor, but it can be fried, boiled, pickled. You can add it raw to salads. Before cooking, you need to soak for a few hours, because the mushrooms are sold in dried form. Combines with many products. So, now to some recipes.

Cold appetizers

Cold mueret appetizers are famous in restaurants in Japan and they are in great demand, so they are served in many Chinese restaurants both at home and around the world. In China, the delicacy is brought before the first courses are served.

Appetizers most often include ginger, garlic, cilantro, and rice black vinegar. The combination of these ingredients awakens the appetite and aids digestion.

Thanks to the unusual presentation and taste, the type of such appetizers have caught on in Russia as well.

They are easy to prepare, budget-friendly, and therefore everyone can indulge in the delights of oriental cuisine.

For a cold snack of "Chinese ears" you need:

• dried mushrooms - 5 pcs;
• black soy vinegar - 1 tbsp;
• light soy sauce - 2 tbsp;
• sesame oil - 1 tsp;
• sugar - 1 tsp;
• garlic - 3 cloves;
• coriander - 3 sprigs;
• ginger - 3 circles;
• salt, chili pepper to taste.

First you need to prepare the mushrooms so that they thaw and regain elasticity. This can be done in two ways:

1. Soak in warm water overnight.
2. Soak for half an hour, then blanch for 5 minutes in boiling water, put aside on a sieve, rinse with cold water.

While the muers are cooling, knead the sauce. Mix sesame oil, black rice vinegar, light soy sauce and sugar until the dressing is dissolved.

Peel the garlic, skin the ginger, and rinse the cilantro and chili. Chop the ginger and garlic as finely as possible. Finely chop herbs and coriander stalks. Cut off a few rings of chili pepper. The more rings, the hotter the dish.

Squeeze the mushrooms, cut off the fleshy part, and cut into julienne strips. You can make it wider or thinner if you like.

Place the sliced muir in a salad bowl. Dress with dressing. Add chopped ginger, garlic, chilies, cilantro. Stir everything up and cover with cling film. Leave in the fridge to soak and cool.

Stir once more and garnish with the rest of the sauce, pepper and coriander when placing it on a plate. You are ready to try it.

Pasta with mushrooms and chicken breast

To prepare the dish you will need:

• Muir - 15 g.
• Chicken breast - 3 woks.
• Pasta - 130 gr.
• Smoked paprika, ground black pepper, hop-suneli - all by tsp.
• Onion - 1 pc.
• Vegetable oil.
• Corn starch - 2 tsp.
• Milk - 50 ml.

Preparation:

1. Pour boiling water over the mushrooms for an hour.
2. Breasts cut into julienne strips, finely chop garlic, onion, grate carrots. Put the ingredients in a bowl, pour the milk, add the starch, salt, spices. All should marinade.
3. After increasing the "ears" 7-8 times, rinse under the tap and coarsely chop.
4. Next, fry chopped breasts in vegetable oil, stirring. Boil the pasta, strain it in a colander. Then mix it with breasts and mushrooms. Braise it all for another 5-7 minutes and you can serve.

Eggplant with mushrooms muer in sesame sauce

This dish includes:

• Eggplant - medium size.
• Red pepper - medium size.
• Muer mushrooms - 20 grams.
• Soy sauce - 4 tbsp.
• Sesame paste - 3 tbsp.
• Rice vinegar - 2 tbsp.
• Sugar - 5 tsp.
• Starch - 3 tbsp.
• Garlic - 4 cloves.
• Hot water - 150 gr.
• Vegetable oil or olive oil for frying.
• Cilantro and spring onions - to taste for decoration.
• Salt - to taste.

Preparation:

1. Wash peppers, eggplant, green onions, and peel garlic. Pour boiling water over the mushrooms and put on low heat for 15-20 minutes.
2. Cut the eggplant into large cubes, salt it so it is not bitter.
3. Roughly chop peppers. Grate garlic on a fine grater. Remove the ears from the pan.
4. If there is no sesame paste, you can make your own from sesame oil and vegetable or olive oil. To do this, first fry the raw sesame on a dry hot pan, stirring and not overcooking, so that it does not burn later in the paste. Grind in a coffee grinder or blender, mix with olive oil. This mixture can be kept in a tightly closed container for about 2 weeks. Ready sesame paste contains vitamins E, C, A, B group, amino acids, as well as phosphorus, iron, calcium, zinc, copper, Omega.
5. Shred the mushrooms, removing the hard parts. Wash eggplant, dry on paper towel, sprinkle with starch. Fry evenly. Quickly roast the bell peppers on high heat. Toss both vegetables on paper towels.
6. Pour vegetable oil in a heated pan, toss garlic, white part of green onion, sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame paste and stir constantly. Add mushrooms, stew for 2 minutes, followed by peppers and eggplant. Pour in water. Bring to the boil, simmer for a couple of minutes, stirring. Serve with a sprinkle of coriander and green onions.

The dish is delicious both hot and cold.

Soup with wood mushrooms

Ingredients for four servings:

• Mushrooms - 15 g.
• Chicken fillet - 400 g.
• Water - 1 liter.
• Peanut butter - 15 gr.
• Ginger - 25 gr.
• Wine - 50 ml.
• Soy sauce - 60 ml.
• White pepper - 1 gr.
• Garlic shoots.

How to cook:

1. Wash the fillets, coarsely chop, put in a pot, pour water, put on the fire and bring to a boil. Cook until fully cooked.
2. Peel the ginger and finely chop. Coarsely chop the garlic cloves.
3. Heat the peanut oil. Fry ginger for two minutes. Pour in broth, wine and soy sauce. Cook for another 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Soup is ready.

Pork fries with mushrooms

Ingredients:

• Pork - 150 g.
• Muir mushrooms - 25 gr.
• Onions - 150 gr.
• Vegetable oil for frying - 0,5 liters.
• Soy sauce - 20 gr.
• Monosodium glutamate - 2 gr.
• Wine or brandy - 10 gr.
• Vinegar - 5 gr.
• Starch - 75 gr.
• Ginger - 5 gr.
• Garlic - 10 gr.
• Salt to taste.

How to cook:

1. Slice the pork into 3 mm thick and about 3 cm long. Put pork into a bowl and salt it. Pour a couple of spoons of water, wine. Add the starch, sodium glutamine, onion sliced in triangular slices and mushroom slices.
2. Separately mix soy sauce, vinegar, sodium glutaminate, salt and water-diluted starch.
3. Grill each pork slice until crispy.
4. Drain almost all the oil, leaving a little to fry the onions, mushrooms, garlic and ginger. Stir in the spices. Braise until it thickens. Then put the roast pork. Thoroughly mix everything. Serve hot.

Wood mushroom appetizer with hazelnut

For the dish you will need:

• Mushrooms - 20 g.
• Funchusa - 120 g.
• Carrots - 1 medium.
• Onion - 1 medium.
• Smoked chicken fillet - 250 gr.
• Garlic - 3 cloves.
• Cucumber - 1 medium.
• Vegetable oil - for frying.
• Salt, sugar, soy sauce.

Recipe:

1. Pre-soak the mushrooms. Onion chop into rings. Grate carrots on a coarse grater. Coarsely chop the muer. Fry these vegetables in a pan with oil, stirring. Shred the chicken. Boil the hazelnuts. Grate cucumber.
2. Let the noodles and vegetables cool and mix together. Season with soy sauce, minced garlic and spices.
3. Leave in the fridge for a couple of hours. This dish is perfect for a holiday table.

Funcho with muer, beef in coconut milk

This delicacy is suitable for fans of sour-sweet dishes.

Ingredients:

• Muer - 40 g.
• Beef - 350 gr.
• Coconut milk - 200 ml.
• Funcho - 250 gr.
• Onion - 1 medium.
• Red pepper - 1 pc.
• Salt, pepper - to taste.
• Greens - for decoration.

Step by step recipe:

1. Soak the mushrooms for 3 hours. Cut the meat into strips, fry in a pan with seasonings, add onion sliced into half rings. "Serve ears, peppers, and bell peppers in strips, and add to pan. Pour in coconut milk and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring, for about 20 minutes.
2. Cook funchos for 4 minutes. Drain, then add to the meat. Sprinkle with greens.

How to grow muir at home

Make two cuts in the bars and prepare them by soaking them for a week in water. Then place the mycelium of the mushroom on these branches. Deciduous trees are suitable for this, in the nature of the muers do not grow on conifers. It is best to use a meter branch with an average diameter of about 15 centimeters. Planted usually in spring, in April or May. The mushrooms germinate within three months at an average temperature of 20 degrees. After sprouting, the logs should be moved to a place protected from the sun.

If the summer was humid and warm, the first crop will appear at the end of the season. Muir can be harvested when white pores appear at the bottom of the cap. Under favorable conditions, the mushrooms will bear fruit for about 6 years.

Interesting Facts

1. Mouer increases almost tenfold when it comes into contact with water. This fact comes in handy when cooking. "Xiangu" is the only species that enlarges slightly, only three times and looks like an umbrella.
2. The mushrooms sound very unusual in different languages: in Vietnamese "mok nhi", in Mandarin "mu-er", in Catalan "van yee".
3. Stores sell "ears" in matchboxes similar in size.
4. The smell of smoky when dried disappears after soaking.
5. The older the muer, the harder it becomes. The color also changes. The young mushrooms are purple, the "older" mushrooms are brownish-purple.
6. Chinese mushroom thins blood stronger than medicines. It even helps with stomach upsets, having an astringent effect.

Photo of Muer mushrooms