Auricularia auricula can be divided into five kinds of defective products, such as boxing ear and flowing ear, because of different growth environment, different harvest season and different drying degree.

Variety characteristics are as follows:

Fist ear: Fist-shaped auricularia auricula, which is formed because it is not dried in time in rainy and wet seasons and sticks to each other when it is turned over.

Flow ear: under the condition of high temperature and high humidity, the flaky auricularia auricula with light color is formed when it is harvested in time.

Ear loss: Auricularia auricula lost its commercial value due to high temperature and high humidity, which caused the gum of Auricularia auricula to overflow and the meat quality to be destroyed.

Worm-eaten ear: A mutilated fungus that is eaten by insects.

Rotten ears: Auricularia auricula is not well kept, and it is caked, moldy and deteriorated after being eroded by moisture.

Good Auricularia auricula-The ear surface is dark brown with a bright feeling, and the back of the ear is dark gray, and there are no mixed ears, flowing ears, lost ears, moth-eaten ears and moldy ears. The pieces are intact and cannot pass through a sieve with a diameter of 2 cm. The thickness of the pieces is above 1 mm, and the impurity content should not exceed 0.3%.

Sub-quality auricularia auricula —— The ear surface is dark brown and shiny, the back of the ear is dark gray, and there are no mixed ears, such as punched ears, flowing ears, lost ears, moth-eaten ears and moldy ears. The flower pieces are basically intact and cannot pass through the sieve heel with a diameter of 1 cm. The thickness of the ear pieces is above 0.7 mm, and the impurity content is less than 0.5%.

Inferior Auricularia auricula-The color of ear lobes is mostly dark brown to light brown, and the ear lobes shall not exceed1%,the ear lobes shall not exceed 0.5%, and the ear lobes shall not be mixed with lost ears, moth-eaten ears and moldy ears. The ear lobes shall not pass through a sieve with a diameter of 0.4 cm, and the thickness of the ear lobes shall not exceed1%.

Identify the quality of auricularia auricula

The quality of auricularia auricula can be identified from the following aspects.

1, flower shape: the flower with large and even flowers, little ear flap stretching and curling, light weight and large swelling after water absorption is the top grade, the flower shape is medium, the ear flap is slightly curled, the texture is slightly heavy, and the swelling after water absorption is average, which belongs to the middle grade. If the flower shape is small and broken, the ear flap is curled, the meat is thick or stiff, and the quality is heavy, it belongs to the inferior grade.

2. Color: The top quality of each flower is black and shiny, and the back of each flower is slightly grayish-white; the dull one is medium quality, and the gray or brown one is inferior quality.

3, dryness: the good quality fungus is dry and crisp, and the second fungus is the hair. Usually, it is required that the moisture content of auricularia auricula is below11%for qualified products. The way to test the moisture content of auricularia auricula is to hold a handful of auricularia auricula in both hands and shake it up and down. If there is a crisp sound, it means that it is dry goods with excellent quality, otherwise, it means that the goods are inferior. You can also pinch it with your hands. If it is easy to crush, or if you let go of your fingers, the flowers will recover quickly, indicating that there is less water. If you let go of your fingers, the flowers will recover slowly, indicating that there is more water.

4. Taste: Take a piece of auricularia auricula and put it in your mouth. If it is light and tasteless, it means that the quality is excellent. If it tastes salty and sweet, or fine sand appears, it is defective or inferior, so you can't buy it.

Classification and characteristics of auricularia auricula

There are four grades of auricularia auricula sold in the market and one extra grade. Among them, the first-class products are not only good in quality, but also high in nutrients.

1, first-class product: the surface is blue, the bottom is gray, shiny, the flower is big and the meat is thick, the expansibility is large, the meat is tough, elastic, free from mud, moth, ear curl and fist ear (dried product that has been turned over for many times because of excessive maturity and long drying).

2. Second-class products: the flower shape is complete, the surface is cyan, the bottom is grayish brown, and there is no mud and insects.

3. Third-grade products: dark brown in color, with different flower shapes, some broken ears and mouse ears (small fungus formed due to insufficient nutrition or harvesting after autumn), no mud and insects.

4. Grade IV products: products that fail to meet Grade I, II and III through inspection, such as no flower shape or a large number of broken ears, but no impurities or mildew.

5. Extra-grade: there are many broken ears, containing impurities and poor color.

Distinguish the authenticity of auricularia auricula

The adulterated substances in Auricularia auricula include sugar, salt, flour, starch, caustic soda, alum, magnesium sulfate and sediment. The method of adulteration is to dissolve some of the above substances into a paste solution with water, and then soak the developed auricularia auricula and dry it in the sun to make these substances stick and float on the auricularia auricula, so the weight of the auricularia auricula is greatly increased. Some fake fungus, using chemicals, is harmful to human health.

There are several ways to identify adulterated auricularia auricula:

1, look at the color: true auricularia auricula, the face of each flower is black and shiny, the back of each flower is slightly gray, and the color of false auricularia auricula is white and dull.

2, look at the flower shape: true fungus, ear flap stretching, light constitution, fake fungus is in a ball shape.

3. Moisture test: True fungus is generally light in texture, and its water content is below11%.False fungus has a lot of water, so you will feel heavy when you weigh it with your hands. After grinding by hand, impurities will be left on your fingers.

4, taste: true fungus, light and tasteless, fake fungus has the taste of adulteration. If it tastes sweet, it means that it has been soaked in sugar water such as maltose; Those with salty taste are soaked in salt water; Those with astringent taste have been soaked in alum water.