Auricularia

What is the Auricularia mushroom?

Auricularia auricula-judae is an edible forest mushroom of the Auriculariaceae family, which grows on trees and shrubs, especially often on elderberries. It has characteristic jelly-like fruiting bodies 3 mm thick and up to 90 mm long, which, due to their similarity to ears, have been called "Judas' ear mushroom", as well as the derivative "Jewish ear". This name is associated with the legend of Judas, who supposedly hanged himself on an elderberry, "leaving" such a "mushroom" mark on the tree trunk.

Auricularia was previously thought to be widespread on all continents, but DNA analysis has shown that they are different species of the same genus. Auricularia cerrina is native to Europe, where the related species Auricularia cerrina is also found. A very similar mushroom, Auricularia heimuer, is widely cultivated in Asia, called "black wood ear" in China and known as "kikurage" or "wood jellyfish" in Japan. It is often sold under the commercial name "Auricularia cerrina", as they were previously considered to be the same species.

The young fruiting bodies of the "Jude's Ear" mushroom have a smooth brown surface, but gradually darken and become more wavy, wrinkled and dark. They have been widely used in folk medicine, but are rarely eaten in Europe. Their Asian "relative" the muer mushroom is a more popular product, used in soups, salads and other dishes of Chinese cuisine. The ingredient is also popular as an additive in the Japanese ramen soup and the Korean dish chapche.

Healing properties of auricularia auricula

The benefits of the Chinese wood mushroom Auricularia and its European counterpart have been known for centuries. In folk medicine, it is used as an antipyretic for fever and colds, for sore throats, and as an astringent. It was most often used in soups and decoctions that were taken orally. Currently, the production of various species of Auricularia accounts for about 21% of all mushrooms grown in the world.

The potential benefits of the black wood mushroom Auricularia auricula are due to its composition - the dried powder contains:

• 50% soluble polysaccharides (β-glucans, mannose, glucose, glucuronic acid, etc.), which exhibit antioxidant, immunomodulatory and anticancer properties;
• 12.5% protein;
• potassium (70% of total mineral content), calcium, iron, other minerals;
• 35% essential and 60% unsaturated fatty acids (of the total acid content);
• B vitamins.

The possibilities of this natural raw material in strengthening immunity, for normalizing the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract (especially the acidity indicator), for protection against edema, for preventing aging and supporting the body in case of diabetes, anemia, cardiovascular and other diseases are being studied.