Dry goods & condiments

Black Fungus (Wan Yee)

A small, thin dried ear fungus commonly sold in Hong Kong, generally finer than wood ear.

3 identity clues

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Names in other languages

Name in Cantonese (Jyutping): wan4 ji5

A small, thin dried ear fungus commonly sold in Hong Kong, generally finer than wood ear.

Dry pieces are small, curled, dark brown to black and thin; after soaking they open into delicate, crisp ear-shaped pieces.

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How to identify it

Cloud ear is generally smaller/thinner; wood ear generally larger/thicker. Treat this as a market guide and trust the label.

Common in steamed dishes, stir-fries, soups and cold dishes.

Rinse under running water and soak in a clean container for at most two hours at room temperature; refrigerate if longer. Cook promptly.

Keep dry pieces sealed from moisture. Refrigerate during longer soaking and use soaked fungus promptly.

Cloud ear is usually smaller and thinner than wood ear, but names and grades overlap; check the original package.

今次要雲耳，細片薄身嗰種。

The request is for the smaller, thinner cloud ear, not the generally larger, thicker wood ear.

唔該要雲耳，唔係大塊木耳。

Meaning: Cloud ear fungus, not the large wood ear pieces, please.

Last reviewed: 2026-08-22

Sources (5)