Wood ear mushroom Coloring Pages

A strange mushroom with no cap or stem

The Wood ear mushroom has a totally different shape from other mushrooms.
It doesn't have a cap or a stem. It is thin, soft, and shaped just like an ear.
The edges are wavy, curly, and bent.
It feels jelly-like and squishy when you touch it. It is a deep brown color that is a little bit clear.

The name means "tree jellyfish"

In Japanese, the Wood ear mushroom is named after sea jellyfish because it has a crunchy texture when you eat it.
It is like a jellyfish growing on a tree, so people called it "tree jellyfish."
The kanji characters mean "tree ear." That is because it looks like an ear growing on a tree.
It is fun that its Japanese name comes from both how it feels and how it looks.
It might be the only mushroom named after a sea creature!

It grows in big groups on tree trunks

In the mountains, the Wood ear mushroom grows on fallen trunks, stumps, and dead branches of broadleaf trees like mulberry, elderberry, beech, and zelkova.
After it rains, it drinks up the water and puffs right up.
When it is sunny and dry, it shrinks down small and gets hard. But when it rains again, it goes back to being squishy!

Most come from other countries

More than 90% of the Wood ear mushrooms eaten in Japan are brought in from places like China.
Most of them are sold as dried Wood ear mushrooms that are super dry.
Lately, people have started growing them in Japan too, so you can see soft, fresh Wood ear mushrooms more often.
The first coloring page uses a picture of a fresh Wood ear mushroom as a sample. Try comparing it to other autumn mushrooms like matsutake and shimeji.

A star in Chinese food

The Wood ear mushroom is often used in Chinese food.
You can find it in "stir-fried Wood ear mushroom and eggs," happy family stir-fry, ramen, and vinegar salads.
It doesn't have much taste, but it has a nice crunch that makes your food fun to eat.
The second coloring page shows a dish with fluffy eggs and wavy Wood ear mushrooms stir-fried together.

Use dark brown with a see-through look

Wood ear mushroom is dark brown. But if you color all of it in dark brown, it will look heavy.
Try using bright brown or orange-brown near the edges. Then make the deep layers in the back darker.
When the edges are light, it looks thin and see-through!

Leave white spaces for shiny spots

The surface of fresh Wood ear mushroom is shiny like it is wet.
Try leaving tiny white spaces on the tops of the wrinkles. It will look like light is shining on it!
If you color the hard clump at the bottom in light cream or yellow-ochre, it will look just like the real thing.

Stir-fried eggs need bright yellow and black contrast

For the stir-fried egg picture, color the fluffy eggs in bright yellow. Color the Wood ear mushroom from dark brown to black.
When yellow and black sit next to each other, both colors stand out clearly!
Greens are green, and the plate pattern is red or blue. If you leave the Chinese soup spoon white, your picture will look like real Chinese food!

Change how dark your colors are for each piece

The fresh Wood ear mushroom in the first picture has many pieces piled up high.
Color the big piece right in front in bright brown. Make the piece behind it a little darker. Color the piece furthest in the back in dark brown. This makes the pile look deep!
If you layer dark colors along the wrinkle lines, it will look bouncy and 3D.
Don't use the exact same color everywhere. Try changing the shade just a little for each piece!

Have fun with the plate pattern

The plate for the stir-fry has a Chinese pattern along the edge.
Try coloring it with red, blue, or gold. If you color each swirl pattern in the same color one by one, it will look very pretty!

干すと、とても小さくなる

干しきくらげは、水にもどすと、何倍もの大きさにふくらむよ。
小さくて固い干しきくらげが、水の中でみるみる大きくなって、ぷるぷるにもどるんだ。
料理に使うときは、少なめに見えても、もどすとたくさんになるから気をつけてね。

ビタミンDがたっぷり

干しきくらげには、骨をじょうぶにするのを助けるビタミンDが、とてもたくさん入っているよ。
食べ物の中でも、ビタミンDの多さはトップクラスなんだ。
おなかの調子を整える食物繊維もたっぷりなんだよ。

毛の生えた、あらげきくらげ

きくらげには、よく似たなかまのあらげきくらげがいるよ。
あらげきくらげは、背中がわに、こまかい毛がたくさん生えているんだ。
きくらげより少し厚くて、コリコリした歯ごたえが強いんだって。お店では、どちらも「きくらげ」として売られていることがあるよ。

雨で生き返るキノコ

山のきくらげは、晴れた日が続くと、からからに乾いて小さくなってしまうよ。
でも、雨がふると水をすって、またぷるぷるにもどるんだ。
乾いても死んでしまわないで、雨を待っているんだね。