wood ear

noun

Definition of wood ear

: any of several ear- or cup-shaped basidiomycetous fungi (genus Auricularia) that grow on wood: such as

a : an edible brownish fungus (A. auricula) of North America

b : a cultivated usually dark brown edible fungus (A. polytricha) used in Chinese cooking

Recent Examples of wood ear from the Web

For the main course, dig into the saffron farfalle with a vegetarian root Bolognese sauce, Parmesan and grapefruit breadcrumbs ($16) or the rye gnocchetti with wood ear mushrooms, Thai basil, Brazil nuts and English peas ($16).

— audrey gorden, RedEye Chicago, "The best vegetarian dishes at non-vegetarian restaurants in Chicago," 9 Aug. 2017
Waiters bring bowls set with chunks of crab, lily buds, wood ear mushrooms and nasturtium flowers and leaves, then pour on a rich, dark fumet bolstered with white peppercorn and black vinegar.

— michael bauer, San Francisco Chronicle, "Mister Jiu’s fulfills its vision with 3½ stars," 11 Apr. 2018
Post up, wait for your moment, and ask for a quesadilla de quelites con requeson (wild greens with ricotta) or flor de calabaza con queso (squash blossoms with oaxacan cheese) or setas (wood ear mushrooms, no cheese).

— scarlett lindeman, Bon Appetit, "The Best Healthy Restaurants in Mexico City," 28 Mar. 2018
For japchae, chewy sweet-potato glass noodles the color of fading photographs are tangled with wood ear mushrooms, skinny strips of carrot, darkened spinach and cabbage still holding its crunch.

— ligaya mishan, New York Times, "At Ejen in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, a Mother’s Touch Infuses the Menu," 22 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wood ear.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.