Ear wood mushrooms are available dried at many supermarkets and Oriental grocers. The mushroom looks black on one side and tan on the other with velvet skin.

Soak the mushrooms in warm or hot water for at least 5 minutes. The mushrooms will absorb water and have ear like in appearance that reminds me of my dark brown cat's ears. You might want to rinse it a few times to get rid of dirt or sand but don't worry about any ear wax.

Even after they are soaked and cooked, the mushrooms are crunchy.