Kikurage wood ear mushroom is a popular ingredient in Asian cuisine recipes. It’s a common topping in Japanese ramen, mostly loved because it is very beneficial to the body and has an exciting, flavorful and chewy texture.

But how do you prepare this dish to ensure you get the most of its taste and health benefits?

My recipe below will guide you; be sure not to leave out any step.

More About Wood Ear Mushroom Ramen

Before we get down to prepare our delicious wood ear mushroom ramen, let’s understand it more. Generally, wood ear mushroom is a type of edible mushroom popularly used in preparing Japanese ramen noodles.

It gets its name from its shape that resembles the ears and is very high in nutritional value.

Other than the name wood ear mushroom, it’s also popularly known as jerry ear, black fungus, Jew’s ear and Mu Er in Chinese.

Below is my easy-to-go recipe that I use for my Kikurage:

How to Prepare Kikurage Ramen?

Since Kikurage is mostly available in a dried version, we’ll need to rehydrate the mushrooms first. Follow these steps to rehydrate;

Soak the wood ear mushrooms in cold water for 1-2 hours. Note that they can increase 3-4 times in size.
If you’re short of time, soak in warm water for 20 minutes but note that they will not expand as much. They will also be less crunchy.
If you’re not preparing immediately after rehydrating, store in the fridge and use within 2 days.

Health Benefits of Kikurage

Kikurage also known as wood ear mushroom is low in fat and calories and is high in fiber, iron and antioxidants. It is widely used in Chinese medicine because it has immune-enhancing and antimicrobial properties.

Below are some of the health benefits of this wild mushroom.

Lowers cholesterol levels
Improves iron deficiency
Reduce inflammation
Promotes gut health
Enhances immune and antimicrobial properties
Protects the liver from deficiencies

Kikurage Nutritional Information

For a piece of the mushroom in a 4 ½ gram serving

Calories: 12.8 kcal
Carbohydrates: 3.2g
Fat: 0g
Fiber: 3.15g
Potassium: 33.9g
Protein: 0.4g
Saturated fat: 0g
Sodium: 2.6mg

Conclusion

I am sure you will love the outcome if you follow my recipe. And did you notice how the mushrooms quickly absorb the flavor from the ramen broth and noodles? The taste is great, and the nutritional value is exceptional. You can try it and if you have any questions or suggestions, don’t hesitant to let us know.