Tremella fuciformis

 Tremella fuciformis, the White Jelly Fungus,  白木耳,  is a species of parasite yeast that, in its non-parasitic form, grows as a whitish, slimy biofilm across tree bark. When the biofilm encounters a suitable host, certain species of cramp ball fungi of the genera Annulohypoxylon and Hypoxylon, it attacks and invades the host, and eventually forms white, gelatinous fruiting bodies that are shaped like clusters of wrinkled fronds. Once mature, these fruiting bodies then release spores which will then eventually grow to repeat the process. White jelly fungus is found throughout tropical and subtropical forests of the world, and in temperate forests of Asia and North America.

Despite the facts that the white jelly is a parasite, and that its preferred Asian species of host, the Archer’s Cramp Ball, A. archeri, is totally inedible, both species are cultivated in Taiwan, China, and other Asian countries to satisfy the market demand. Efforts at cultivation began during the 19th Century in China, when would-be jelly farmers began treating, then eventually inoculating wooden poles in the hopes of growing the fungus. The modern industry did not take off until growers consulted with Western mycologists in order to realize that they needed to cultivate its host, in addition to the fungus, itself, before the cultivated jellies could be encouraged to produce the desired fruiting bodies. Modern cultivation now revolves around inoculating treated sawdust with mycelia of both fungi. The white jelly has no taste, and has a crispy, yet elastic texture, very similar to its distant relative, the wood ear, Auricularia auricula-judae, but far more delicate. Because it is a fungus, Western cooks who are aware of the white jelly dismiss it as a vegetable, that is, if they regard it as edible at all. In Chinese cuisine, the fruiting bodies are dried, then rehydrated in a solution of baking soda and hot water, rinsed thoroughly, then boiled in a broth made with dissolved rock sugar, or more rarely, a savory soup stock. White jelly is usually eaten as a dessert, often as a dessert soup with jujubes or boiled fruit. Other recipes call for white jelly in a thin, savory soup with pork or chicken.

In Chinese Medicine, the white jelly fungus, or bai mu er, is used extensively as a yin tonic that nourishes body fluids and lubricates the lungs. In particular, a sweet soup is made of white jelly fungus to nourish people suffering from dry coughs, who have difficulty expectorating phlegm (i.e., dry lung phlegm syndrome), and yin-deficient people recovering from febrile diseases. As an outgrowth of its moisture-replenishing functions, white jelly, and its various active-chemical extracts are utilized as anti-aging cosmetic ingredients in China and Japan. The various active chemicals include anti-oxidants and enzymes that help the skin retain more moisture, as well as prevent and reverse age-related damage.