16 minutes ago, liuzhou said:
Which? They are not the same. Tree ear (木耳 mù ěr. 'wood-ear' is a better translation) is dark, brown to black.
Cloud ear (云耳 yún ěr ) are white to light gray.
Taste wise they are the same .Tasteless.
Here, they are written about and listed on menus as if they are the same thing. These are dark brown to black. So, I take it they are wood, or tree ears. I always wondered where the cloud ear term came from. In either respect, it must be the texture that puts them on the table, as they, like you say, have no flavor, but I do enjoy them in combination with the ramen, broth and other vegetables.
HC