Herb. No. 058 · Tremellaceae
Warm-temperate Asian hardwoods; a Chinese kitchen fungus.
Native · East Asia · Southeast Asia
Native Also grown
LegalGentlefungus
Snow fungus
Tremella fuciformis
A translucent white jelly used in Chinese kitchens for skin, lung Yin, and a silky soup.
Yin er is a parasitic jelly that grows on other fungi on hardwood. Dried it looks like a rag; simmered it becomes a clear, crunchy gel. Traditional use is as a moistening food, not a capsule.
Flavor
Almost none — a clean, crunchy jelly that carries the syrup or broth you cook it in.
Parts used
Fruiting body
Helpful
- Gentle food
- Keeps dried for years
- Kits exist
Cautions
- Flavorless on its own
- Quality of cheap bags varies