Wood ear mushroom salad (Liangban muer)

1. Soak the dried wood ear mushrooms in plenty of cold water for 30 minutes until they swell many times over; wash thoroughly, trim off the hard base and tear larger pieces into bite-sized ones.

2. Bring the water to the boil, add the mushrooms, cook for 2 minutes, then drain and cool in cold water; drain well.

3. Finely chop the garlic, thinly slice the chilli and roughly chop the coriander.

4. For the dressing, mix the black rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, salt and sesame oil.

5. Toss the mushrooms with the garlic, chilli and dressing.

6. Sprinkle with coriander and serve cold after resting for 10 minutes.

Tip: Wood ear is beloved in China not for its taste, which is neutral, but for its crunchy-jelly texture – and it happily soaks up the dressing. You can make the salad ahead; it stays fresh in the fridge for a day.