Snow fungus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Snow fungus

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Subdivision:	Hymenomycotina
Class:	Heterobasidiomycetes
Order:	Tremellales
Family:	Tremellaceae
Genus:	Tremella
Species:	T. fuciformis

Binomial name

Tremella fuciformis
Berkeley

Tremella fuciformis mycological characteristics:	i
smooth hymenium
no distinct cap
hymenium attachment is not applicable
lacks a stipe
spore print is white
ecology is saprophytic
edibility: choice

Snow fungus (Tremella fuciformis, also known as white fungus or silver tree-ear fungus) is a type of jelly fungus (a kind of mushroom) that is used in Chinese cuisine. In Chinese, it is called 银耳 (pinyin: yín ěr; literally "silver ear") or 白木耳 (pinyin: bái mù ěr, literally "white wood ear"), and in Japanese it is called shiro kikurage (シロキクラゲ, lit. "white tree jellyfish").

The fungus grows in frilly masses on trees and is off-white in color and very translucent.

The product is often purchased dried and must be soaked before usage. It is used in both savory and sweet dishes. While tasteless, it is enjoyed for its jelly-like texture as well as its supposedly medicinal benefits. Most commonly, it is used to make a sweet dessert soup called luk mei (六味), often in combination with jujubes and dried longans, among other ingredients.

In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed to be beneficial for the lungs.^{[citation needed]}