Yellow jelly fungus
The dried yellow jelly fungus (also called golden ear, 金耳), a brain-like fold of the tremella family from the high country of Yunnan, sold whole. Its gum is even thicker than snow fungus's, demanding hours of soaking, and it melts into double-steamed soups with a luxurious slip and a faint sweet fragrance, a prestige tureen ingredient.
TCM properties
Nature · neutral Flavour · sweet Meridians · lung、spleen
Traditional food therapy
In Cantonese food therapy yellow fungus is used to nourish yin, moisten the lungs and generate fluids for the stomach, prized in richer double-steamed pots.
Cautions: read first
- Keep to a moderate amount if your stools are loose.
- The same soaking hygiene as snow fungus (雪耳): left soaking too long at room temperature it spoils and carries a poisoning risk, so soak it only when you are ready to use it.
Preparation
It takes longer to soak than most, several hours to overnight; cut off the hard base and rinse the grit out.
Origin
The Yunnan plateau, with a tradition of wild and semi-wild harvesting. Very hard to find in Australia; ask a specialist dried-goods shop
Availability in Australia
Herbal shops / specialists