● Species profile
Wood Ear
Auricularia auricula-judae
An ear-shaped jelly fungus that turns up in hot and sour soup. Lab and animal studies show a mild blood-thinning effect, so take care if you're on anticoagulants. Dries and rehydrates perfectly.
Historical Use and Context
Wood ear is one of the oldest cultivated mushrooms, documented in Chinese texts for well over a thousand years. It is still a staple in Chinese cooking, valued for its crunchy texture in soups and stir-fries.
In traditional Chinese medicine it was used to support circulation, and modern research has found compounds in it that affect blood clotting in lab studies.
How to Cook Wood Ear
- Flavor
- Almost none; it takes on the sauce
- Texture
- Crunchy and slightly gelatinous
- Best ways to cook
- Hot and sour soup, stir-fries, and blanched cold salads with vinegar.
- Pairs with
- Black vinegar, garlic, chili, sesame oil, cilantro
- Prep tip
- Soak dried pieces 20 to 30 minutes. It swells to several times its size, so start small.
- Storage
- Dried: airtight jar, a year or more.
Cooking isn't only about flavor. Mushroom cell walls are built from chitin, which is hard to digest raw. Heat breaks it down, which helps your body get at the beta-glucans and other compounds the research focuses on.
The Short Answer
May help waistline and triglycerides a little; can slightly reduce blood clotting.
A crunchy, fiber-rich mushroom common in Chinese cooking that can thin the blood slightly. Soak dried wood ear in the fridge and don't leave it soaking for long, because spoiled soaked wood ear has caused deadly poisonings.
How Strong Is the Research?
1 small human trial, mostly lab
How to Eat It
Dried, Soaked and Cooked
Soak in the fridge for a few hours (not days), rinse, then boil or stir fry.
Fresh, as Food
Slice and cook in soups or stir fries; it stays crunchy after cooking.
A Normal Serving
A normal serving is about 5 g dried (a small handful), which swells to about 1/2 cup when soaked. The one human trial used a wood ear powder food twice a day for 8 weeks.
When You Might Notice
The human trial ran 8 weeks before small changes in waist size and triglycerides showed up. The blood-thinning effect was reported after eating it in a meal. Bongkrekic acid poisoning from spoiled soaked wood ear can start within hours.
⚠ Who Should Skip It or Ask Your Doctor First
- Blood thinners or antiplatelet drugs (warfarin, apixaban, clopidogrel, daily aspirin): wood ear can reduce platelet clumping, which may add to bleeding risk. Ask your doctor before eating it often.
- Surgery or dental work coming up: stop eating large amounts about 2 weeks before, because of the platelet effect.
- Bleeding disorders or easy bruising: the platelet effect was first noticed when a person got unusual bruising after eating it.
- Mushroom allergy: if other mushrooms have caused a rash, swelling or breathing trouble, skip it.
Buying, Storing and Cooking
1
Soak It Cold and Short
Soak dried wood ear in the fridge and cook it the same day; soaking it warm or overnight on the counter can grow bacteria that make bongkrekic acid, a toxin cooking cannot destroy.
2
Throw Out Anything Off
Discard soaked wood ear that is slimy, sticky or smells sour, and never eat leftovers soaked for days.
3
Buy Sealed and Dry
Choose dried wood ear in sealed packs with no mold or musty smell, and store it dry at room temperature.
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The Research in Plain English
2025 · 50 adults, average age 67 · randomized open-label trial
People ate foods made with wood ear powder twice a day for 8 weeks. Waist size and triglycerides dropped compared with the control group, but constipation and gut bacteria did not change. Participants knew what they were eating. Read the study ↗
1980 · Case report and platelet tests · letter in NEJM
A doctor linked unusual bruising after a spicy Szechwan dish to the black tree fungus (wood ear) in it and found it reduced platelet clumping. This is why people on blood thinners should be careful. Read the study ↗
2024 · 1 patient · case report
A 77-year-old woman died of bongkrekic acid poisoning after eating wood ear that had soaked for about 5 days. The toxin damaged her liver, heart and brain, and there is no antidote. Read the study ↗
This Wood Ear guide summarizes published research for general education and isn't medical advice. Talk to your doctor before starting any supplement, especially if you take medication.
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