In a combination of Greek and Latin the name realistically means “ Tear Crispy ” - Not very helpful, even if quite descriptive of the texture? So some common names are - Cauliflower Fungus, Wood Cauliflower, Brain Fungus - Any one of those will do!
I’ve foraged this in Yorkshire and eaten it. But it seems to be a bit of a bug magnet and is a bit of a pain to clean. These were from a local Chinese supermarket and were bug free and dried. Which made them much more appealing!
We soaked them in cold water for a couple of hours before quartering and cutting the dense central core out.
This was a stir-fry with home made Gluten Free battered Chicken ( The Batter recipe is here ) and Sue’s home made Black Bean Sauce. ( Recipe here )
The Brain Fungus work just like a flavour sponge, absorbing and intensifying the sauce.
