These are edible Woodear mushrooms (Auricularia polytricha) whose shape resembles a human ear. They grow in groups on dead or dying host native trees like Tawa, Matai, Pukatea, Mahoe and Kahikatea. They look quite different when dry as opposed to swollen after soaking (front woodear above), which you need to do to use them. I put them in soup, broth and they can be sliced thinly, lightly fried and then turned into a pesto or used in omelette or stir fry dishes. They are bland tasting with a slippery, but slightly crunchy texture. I like them because of their nutritional/medicinal qualities, being used in China where they offer health benefits as a tonic food and for people with high blood pressure, cancer and are said to prevent coronary heart disease and arteriosclerosis. I learned in the Hawera museum that Woodear mushrooms provided much needed supplementary income for the early pioneer settlers who eagerly gathered them for export to China.
