Wood Ear & Cucumber Salad (Liang Ban Mu Er)

The story

Wood ear fungus is prized in China for one thing — texture. It crunches like nothing else, absorbs dressing like a sponge, and comes dried in every Asian grocery. Rehydrated in hot water and tossed with cucumber, it is the standard cold dish of Chinese summers.

Ingredients (6 + pantry staples)

• Dried wood ear fungus — 1 oz / 30 g
• Persian cucumber — 1, smashed and chunked
• Garlic — 2 cloves, minced
• Rice vinegar — 2 tbsp
• Soy sauce — 1 tbsp
• Toasted sesame oil — 1 tsp

Pantry staples used (don't count toward the 6): salt, sugar (pinch). Not stocked yet? See the pantry page.

Steps

1. Soak the wood ears in hot water 10 minutes until rubbery-plump; trim and tear into bite-size pieces.
2. Blanch them in boiling water 1 minute; drain and cool.
3. Toss with cucumber, garlic, vinegar, soy, sesame oil, salt and sugar.

Swaps

No wood ear? The same dressing on plain smashed cucumber is still excellent. Add cilantro if you love it.