Black fungus is not necessarily the better, the blacker it is
Black fungus, hailed as the "King of Vegetarian Delicacies," is highly nutritious. However, experts warn consumers that some unscrupulous vendors often use ink to dye common earth ears black, passing them off as black fungus. Therefore, black fungus is not necessarily the better, the blacker it is, and consumers should carefully distinguish between the real and fake by examining the color and smelling the aroma.
It is understood that black fungus is rich in nutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, iron, calcium, vitamins, etc., making it extremely nutritious. At the same time, black fungus is rich in plant collagen, which has a strong adsorptive effect. It can dissolve and oxidize foreign objects that are accidentally ingested and difficult to digest, such as husks, hair, and sand. Therefore, eating black fungus regularly can help cleanse the digestive tract, stomach, and intestines. It is especially beneficial for workers in industries with severe air pollution, such as mining, metallurgy, and cotton and wool spinning, as it provides excellent health benefits.
However, food experts have revealed that some unscrupulous vendors dye common earth ears to pass them off as black fungus to deceive consumers. It is understood that common earth ears are artificially cultivated by sprinkling earth ear fungus on sawdust and straw stalks, and they can sometimes grow in damp places. They have no nutritional value and are very cheap; the wholesale price for a jin of earth ears is only about ten yuan. But after being dyed, they are magically transformed into "nutritious black fungus," which can be sold for nearly fifty to sixty yuan per jin. The counterfeiters typically pour the earth ears into an iron pot full of hot water, add a certain amount of ink, and the originally yellow-brown earth ears turn into black "black fungus." Currently, this counterfeit black fungus is widely sold online, while online malls selling genuine black fungus are rare, with only a few like "Mountain Goods Bar."
Additionally, because black fungus is highly absorbent, it can absorb many other substances, including sugar and salt. Some unscrupulous vendors also use the chemical magnesium sulfate to soak the black fungus to increase its weight, causing one jin of black fungus to "fatten" by two to three jin. However, as a chemical substance, magnesium sulfate can also be used as a laxative and is strictly prohibited from being added to food.
Experts advise consumers that black fungus is not necessarily the better, the blacker it is, and they can distinguish the real from the fake by its color. Genuine black fungus has a dark brown front and a grayish-white back, whereas earth ears are yellowish-brown. Black fungus soaked in magnesium sulfate is dark brown on both sides. At the same time, genuine black fungus has a natural, fresh aroma, while counterfeit fungus has a foul smell of ink. When soaking the "processed" "black fungus" in clear water, the water quickly turns ink-black. Furthermore, real black fungus is fragrant and delicious to chew, while black fungus soaked in magnesium sulfate is bitter and astringent, making it difficult to swallow.