help me identify what these two things found in Chinese food are?

Question

OK, the first are those round beige colored slices that are very crunchy, their texture is similar to the flesh of apples, but crispier, and have a mild peppery taste.

the other are those flat black things that look like crumpled paper and have a soft fleshy texture (found in chicken with garlic sauce)

Answer 1

Need more info on your crunchy, beige slices. One, it could be water-chestnuts. But these are not often used in chinese savoury cooking. They aren't peperry but more on the mild, sweet side. Perhaps the taste you mentioned is due to the gravy?

They could also be bamboo shoot slices, which again are not too often used because of its strong, pungent smell and aftertaste. But it's a favourite. One other possibility is lotus root. It's crunchy with a mild aftertaste. Usually looks like a sieve with really large holes ^_^ when sliced.

Your fla, black things are fungi. It's a type of wood fungi, often sold dried in Chinese grocery shops. After soaking, they swell up.

Answer 2

The first item is probably water chestnut, the only thing I am not sure about is the peppery taste. The second item is a type mushroom called "wood ears" (in Chinese). they are different from the shitake mushrooms.

Answer 3

I think you're talking about water chestnuts (round crunchy texture) and either a type of seaweed or mushroom that has been sliced very thin.

Answer 4

The first sounds like water chestnuts...very common & found in the international section of most grocery stores, canned.
The second could be cloud-ear mushrooms...they are usually found in most asian markets, come dried & are flat & wide or can be found already sliced th inly, then dried. To prepare, you must soak in hot water until pliable...then thinly slice.
Hope this helps!

Answer 5

I think this has more to do with the types of NeoConfucianism supported by the Ming and Manchu and also the Tokugawa Shogunate and other East Asian culture being anti creative research. Many of the technical innovations in China and Japan in the last few centuries have been in ceramics or lacquer or textile dyeing and so we rarely know who the EXACT inventors were cos "trade secret = family secret" etc.

Answer 6

I think the first item is fresh young bamboo shoots, normally used in stir fry or soup.

The second item is a type of fungus known as "yun-er/mu-er/hei-mu-er" in Chinese. Also known as "Jew's ears". It usually comes in the dry form and you have to soak it in hot water till soften before cooking it. Commonly found in Chinese vegetarian dishes, the texture is soft and silky. This fungus also has a white version, which is usually used in dessert or soup.

Answer 7

The first one would be water chestnuts. The second one is some kind of mushroom, but I am not sure what kind.

Answer 8

The round things are water chestnuts. I haven't a clue what the black things are though.

Answer 9

My first thought was ginger for the first one, but it could also be water chestnuts. And the second is mushrooms, I believe.

Answer 10

water chestnuts (but they arent "peppery"), so either ginger or maybe bamboo shoots.

flat black things are wood ear mushrooms (reconstituted from dried)