Wood Ear showing in picture is the ready-to-cook look. It’s one kind of dry ingredient, you have to soak it in water for at least an hour before you cook it. Wood ear has different names in English. This name should be translated directly from its Chinese name. A lot of times, it’s called ‘black fungus’. Below are the links from wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auricularia_auricula-judae http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_ear_fungus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_ear   Some dishes cooked with black fungus: Stir Fried Luffa with Eggs   Stir Fried Napa with Shrimp and Black Fungus   Stir Fried Asparagus with Preserved Pork