Why a handful of dried wood ear mushrooms more than doubles in size when soaked

Since dried wood ear mushrooms increase in volume rapidly during the soaking process, it is important to adjust the appropriate amount before cooking. According to a video from 'Ye Kyung-ok's Oksabu TV okcheftv', if you soak too many dried wood ear mushrooms all at once, the quantity can become excessively large, causing difficulties in cooking.

Controlling soaking time and amount is key

There are two ways to soak wood ear mushrooms: putting them in boiling water or soaking them in cold water. In the video, the method of boiling them in boiling water for about 15 minutes was used for quick cooking. Boiling for about 15 minutes allows the wood ear mushrooms to swell appropriately while maintaining a chewy texture. If you have sufficient time, it is better to soak them in cold water for more than 30 minutes. If soaked sufficiently for more than 30 minutes, the volume increases more than twice compared to the 15-minute cooking method shown in the video, and the texture becomes softer.

The point of caution is the degree of expansion of the wood ear mushrooms. The presenter in the video mentioned an experience from when they worked in a Chinese kitchen in the past, where they soaked 1kg of dried wood ear mushrooms all at once and faced the trouble of the volume becoming so large that it overflowed the container, and recommended soaking them in small amounts.

Order of making seasoned wood ear mushrooms

The seasoned dish using soaked wood ear mushrooms is divided into the preparation and seasoning processes. First, after soaking the wood ear mushrooms, remove any woody residue that may be attached to the ends, then rub and wash them in clean water. Add chili and onions to the washed wood ear mushrooms.

For the seasoning, mix in red pepper powder, garlic, sugar, pepper, and leegi seasoning. In the video, a method of using chili oil instead of red pepper powder was also presented. If you mix it directly by hand so that the seasoning is well combined, the seasoned wood ear mushrooms suitable as a side dish for rice are completed. Depending on the soaking time, you can enjoy a chewy texture when boiled for 15 minutes, and a softer texture when soaked for more than 30 minutes.