Mu-Err (Auricularia polytricha, Cloud Ear)
The mu-err mushroom may be familiar to connoisseurs of Chinese cooking, as this "Chinese morel" is called for in many Chinese dishes. Although this mushroom does not have a particularly distinctive taste, it is highly regarded for its texture. In the European context, records reveal that variants of this mushroom have been used for medicinal purposes since medieval times.
Auricularia polytricha can be found all over the world on deciduous trees, especially elder trees. As translated from Chinese, other names for this mushroom include cloud ear and hairy wood ear due to its fuzzy exterior. Auricularia polytricha is very closely related to Auricularia auricula-judae, and in both Europe and Asia they are often interchangeable. The latter, translated from Latin, is also known as "Judas' ear"; a name that stems from the myth that this mushroom was growing on the side of the tree from which Judas hanged himself.
Approximately 5% of the dry mass of mu-err is pure mineral substance, and the mushroom is also rich in beta-glucans and adenosine.