After drying, it shrinks into horny, hard and brittle, and its back is dark gray or grayish white; Swelling after entering water, it can be restored to its original state, soft and translucent, with smooth mucus on the surface. Soft texture, delicious taste, rich nutrition, can be vegetarian, which not only adds elegance to the dishes, but also enriches the blood and nourishes the face, eliminates diseases and prolongs life. Modern nutritionists praise Auricularia auricula as "vegetarian meat", and its nutritional value can be comparable to that of animal food.
Fresh auricularia auricula contains a porphyrin photosensitive substance, which will cause itching and edema of the skin after being irradiated by the sun, which will seriously lead to skin necrosis. Dried auricularia auricula is the finished product after exposure. During the exposure, most porphyrins will decompose. Soak the dried auricularia auricula in water before eating, and the residual porphyrin contained in it will dissolve in water, so the dried auricularia auricula can be safely eaten.
The surface of high-quality auricularia auricula is black and smooth, and one side is gray. It feels dry, has no graininess, and has no peculiar smell in the mouth. False fungus looks thicker and heavier. It feels moist or granular to the touch, and tastes sweet or salty to the mouth (usually soaked in sugar or salt water).
The polysaccharide in auricularia auricula can decompose tumors, so it can improve people's immunity and has a good anti-cancer effect. Moreover, this polysaccharide also has the function of dredging blood vessels and clearing cholesterol in blood vessels, so it can lower blood sugar and blood lipid, prevent thrombosis and prevent cerebrovascular diseases. The phospholipids in auricularia auricula have nutritional effects on brain cells, so auricularia auricula is a good brain-nourishing food. Auricularia auricula also has the dietotherapy function of nourishing and moistening dryness, nourishing blood and benefiting stomach, and is a health food for patients with various modern civilized diseases such as hypertension, heart disease and cancer.