When you eat ramen noodles in restaurants, have you ever seen a type of black and flat food that has a distinctive crunchy texture floating on the soup? If so, this food is very likely a type of mushroom called kikurage, also known as black fungus or wood ear. You can now enjoy these unique Japanese mushrooms at home!

Kikurage is one of the edible mushrooms available in Japan. It usually features a flat and smooth cap, dark brown color, and has a distinctive crunchy feel when you bite it. Rich in fiber, vitamin D, and potassium, it is a handy and healthy food for supplementing nutrition.

This product is cultivated by Mori Sangyo, a Japanese mushroom producer in the Kyusyu region that is noted for its quality mushrooms. Their kikurage is free of pesticides and it has a meaty flesh.

Add some pieces of kikurage to ramen, salad, marinated dishes, stir-fried dishes, and others according to your preferences. Although you can enjoy it with any condiment, it pairs particularly well with sesame oil.

Instructions

This product is a dried kikurage. You need to put it back in water before eating, but if you wish to eat it in stir-fried dishes, you can cook it directly.

Put the kikurage mushroom in a bowl of water and let it soak for approximately 6 hours, before draining it. Depending on its original size and soaking time, it is said that kikurage will expand from five to six times in size.

For quicker results, you can soak it in a bowl of hot water (40~50℃) for 10 minutes or blanch it for 10~60 seconds. Likewise, drain it well after soaking.

Kikurage has an “ishizuki”, which is a tough and shrunken area on its underside. Remove it with a kitchen knife or shears after soaking it. It is acceptable to perform this step before the soaking phase.

After these steps, the kikurage is ready to serve.

Details

• Net contents: 100g of Japanese dried kikurage mushroom
• Notes: Store in a dry place away from extreme humidity and temperature. Make sure to close the resealable bag when unused.
• Made in Japan