Judas' Ear

Many species existing today have been named due to their fabled relationship to a person of high stature. My previous post on King Alfred's Cakes is one such example. Another example is Judas' Ear, a fungus found growing on both living and dead wood. It has a shape and soft 'jelly-like' structure that resembles that of a human ear and is most commonly found growing on elder trees. Auricularia auricula-judae is its Latin name which follows the folklore behind its initial naming. The unusually hyphenated species name auricula means ear and judae means Judas. Judas Iscariot is believed to have hanged himself from an elder tree following his betrayal of Jesus Christ; the fungus found to resemble a human ear believed to be reincarnations of his own as a reminder of his suicide.

This fungus is known today more commonly as the Jelly Ear and can be found quite easily in the UEA forest. It is edible though is not known for tasting very good nor having a favourable texture. In folk medicine it was boiled and drank or gargled to cure sore throats.

I wouldn't want to eat it, but now I know if I was starving on a camping trip the Jelly Ear is an option!

Regards,

Elleni - East African Student Ambassador