Snow Fungus

Tremella fuciformis is a fungus commonly called snow fungus, snow ear, silver ear fungus, white ear fungus, white jelly mushroom and white cloud ears. It produces white, frond-like, gelatinous fruit bodies. It is widespread, especially in the tropics, on the dead branches of broadleaf trees, and is a parasitic yeast that grows as a slimy film until it meets its host fungi, species of Annulohypoxylon, and invades them. It is commercially cultivated and is one of the most popular fungi in the cuisine and medicine of China. Berkeley described it in 1856 from collections made in Brazil. In Mandarin it is yin'er, silver ear, and in Japanese shiro kikurage. In Chinese cuisine it is used in sweet dishes and is valued for its gelatinous texture and supposed medicinal benefits. An extract of it is used in women's beauty products from China, Korea and Japan.