What is 100g of Rock Tripe?

100g of Rock Tripe is a product consisting of 100g of naturally dried wild rock tripe harvested from rocks in the high-altitude areas of the Taebaek Mountains. When dried rock tripe is soaked in water, the back of the mushroom turns a deep black color; thus, in terms of color food, rock tripe can be classified as a Black Food. With its clean taste and chewy texture, rock tripe dishes are famous in the East as a premium delicacy. Here is a brief introduction to rock tripe.

Rock Tripe (Seogi Mushroom)

Rock tripe is a mushroom that grows attached to rocks in clean, deep mountain areas and has a very long lifespan. Although we could harvest wild rock tripe year-round if we chose to, it is quite expensive because it cannot be artificially cultivated and must be gathered from the high-altitude Taebaek Mountain regions. Since the human lifespan is too short to cultivate rock tripe and wait to taste it, no one engages in artificial cultivation of it.

The name 'Seogi' (石耳) is a Sino-Korean word composed of 'stone' (石) and 'ear' (耳), derived from the mushroom's appearance and texture. It is called Seogi because the mushroom attached to the rock looks like a stone ear, and its texture is as soft and pliable as a human earlobe. Because of its clean flavor and great chewy texture, it is used as a garnish for japchae or noodles, or as an ingredient in blanched dishes, seasoned greens (namul), and stir-fries. It is also used as a black coloring agent in cooking, as a dye, and for health purposes.

In the West, rock tripe is known by its English name. The term "tripe" refers to the stomach lining of a cow, which is covered in dense, bumpy projections. Because the back of the rock tripe is covered in dense, bumpy black protrusions that resemble the stomach lining of a cow, Westerners call it "Rock Tripe."

Biologically, rock tripe is not a plant but belongs to the category of lichens. Although it has "mushroom" in its name, it leads a very different existence from regular mushrooms like shiitake. Lichens are unique organisms; while their growth rate is extremely slow, their lifespan is remarkably long. Let me briefly introduce lichens.

Lichens

The term "lichen" refers to a group of organisms that "clothe the earth." Lichens cover about 6% of the Earth's land surface and include about 20,000 species. They possess extreme vitality, capable of living anywhere on Earth, including soil, rocks, trees, tombstones, roof tiles, inside rock crevices, tropical regions, deserts, and polar regions. The longest-living lichen in the world today is 8,600 years old, making lichens the longest-living organisms on Earth. Humans, who live for only a century, cannot help but marvel at how the flame of life can burn for such a long time.

A lichen is a composite organism formed by the combination of fungi and algae. The growth rate of most lichens is less than 1mm per year, and even the fastest-growing lichen does not exceed 2mm annually. It takes 100-200 years for a lichen to grow to the size of a fingertip or two. Thus, what benefit would there be for humans, who live at most 100 years, to attempt artificial cultivation?

Lichens most commonly appear in the form of leaves, crusts, or branches, though there are about six or seven other forms, including powder. Because rock tripe is leaf-shaped, it is called a foliose lichen. There are about 30 species of rock-dwelling lichens on Earth. The rock tripe used for food and health in the East is one of these 30 species. Lichens are sensitive to sulfur dioxide emitted from burning coal and oil, so they cannot live in areas with air pollution. Therefore, the presence of lichens is proof that the air in that area has remained unpolluted for a long time.

Seogi (Rock Tripe), Mogi (Wood Ear), Euni (Snow Fungus)

Like the character "i" (耳 - ear) at the end of Seogi, the mushrooms Euni and Mogi also share this suffix. They are all mushrooms associated with the ear. If you look at or touch fresh or soaked Seogi, Euni, and Mogi mushrooms, you will understand why they are associated with the ear. Their appearance attached to rocks or trees resembles an ear, and because of the gelatinous substance within, their texture feels soft and pliable like a human earlobe. However, when dried, this connection to the ear is less obvious. The photo below shows dried Seogi, Mogi, and Euni mushrooms.

Rock tripe has a distinct difference from Euni and Mogi. While Euni and Mogi are parasitic on trees and obtain nutrients from them, rock tripe does not derive nutrients from rocks; it simply uses the rock as a fixed support. Rock tripe dissolves the rock and sends roots into it to attach its body. Because the roots are not the parts that absorb water and nutrients, they are called pseudo-roots. These must be removed after harvesting or before cooking to prevent a gritty texture when chewing. Since rock fragments may be stuck to these pseudo-roots, they must be removed. The small clump visible inside the circular dotted line below is the pseudo-root of the rock tripe.

When you look at the dried rock tripe above, it might look like a black sheet of paper. You might think it would break easily like a cracker when touched, but that is not the case. Due to the gelatinous substance inside, it is tough and does not break easily. After soaking the rock tripe in water and spreading it out with your fingers, you can feel the small, bumpy pseudo-root near the center of the mushroom. Since it is a protrusion near the center of the underside, it is called the mushroom belly button, and it can be easily removed with scissors or your fingers.

A famous historical figure associated with rock tripe is 'Lü Buwei'. Lü Buwei was the biological father of Qin Shi Huang during China's Spring and Autumn period and the compiler of 'Lüshi Chunqiu'. The Lüshi Chunqiu was a grand encyclopedia compiled by Lü Buwei by mobilizing over 3,000 scholars. The fact that rock tripe from Mt. Kumgang in Korea was introduced in that encyclopedia shows that its existence has been known to humans for a very long time. Since Lü Buwei passed away in 235 BC, it means that Korea's Mt. Kumgang was famous to the Chinese as far back as 2,200 years ago.

In Korea, there are records indicating that people used rock tripe during the Three Kingdoms period. Based on these records and Chinese accounts, we can conclude that our ancestors have had at least 2,200 years of experience using rock tripe.

Components of Rock Tripe

Below is the general composition table for rock tripe. "Dry matter basis" means the content ratio was calculated with moisture removed.

General Composition Analysis Table of Rock Tripe (Rural Development Administration, 2011, 174Kcal/100g, Dry matter basis)

A characteristic of the general composition of rock tripe is that carbohydrates account for the majority. Because rock tripe is a symbiosis of algae and fungi, the algae produce carbohydrates through photosynthesis. Another characteristic is the low ash content, as the mushroom roots cannot absorb mineral components from the rock. Like other mushrooms, the dietary fiber content of rock tripe is very high. Here are a few important, special, and trace components found in rock tripe.

How to use stone mushrooms in folk tradition

Here is a brief introduction to how stone mushrooms are used in folk tradition. Before using them, first soak the stone mushrooms in warm salt water, remove the rhizoids, and wash them by rubbing them several times under running water. Because the mushroom lives for hundreds to thousands of years with its bumpy underside close to rocks, it is easy for sand to get stuck to the bottom.

While the water used to soak the mushrooms is discarded, the water used to blanch them is not; it is used as mushroom tea or as a broth for various stews.

The supplier of this product is Nature Farming Association Corporation (CEO: Kim Ju-il) located in Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk, and the producers are residents of Mt. Taebaek. The Nature Farming Association, which grows, processes, and sells mushrooms, was established in 1997 and successfully achieved the first domestic artificial cultivation of wood ear mushrooms in 2007. It acquired Korean Patent (No. 10-0806484) and Japanese Patent (No. 4624432) for its mushroom freeze-drying method in 2008 and 2010, and began exporting mushroom products to Japan and the Asian region in 2012.

Nature Farming Association Corporation uses its patented technique to produce Oxygen Shiitake Mushrooms, which are dried mushrooms with properties nearly identical to fresh mushrooms. Oxygen Shiitake Mushrooms are special mushrooms that retain the tenderness, aroma, and taste of fresh mushrooms while weighing less and having a longer shelf life.

Nature Farming Association Corporation produces and processes shiitake, wood ear, oyster, button, king oyster, and enoki mushrooms using eco-friendly farming methods. It produces a total of 48 items and supplies them to Nonghyup Mart, Lotte Mart, Hanaro Mart, Lotte Super, and Lotte Shopping. Additionally, the Nature Farming Association sometimes purchases silver ear mushrooms sourced from overseas or raw stone mushrooms produced in other parts of Korea to repackage and distribute them domestically.

This food item is not subject to legal requirements for this.

This food item is not subject to legal requirements for this.

This food item is not subject to legal requirements for this.

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