Gyrophora

　　The gyrophora, with another name as crag ear, is a kind of black gyrophora plant growing on cliff, also a special product of Wulingyuan scenic area. The gyrophora generally grows in north places facing south, which are arenaceous rock with moist dike. It is a kind of fungoid food with rich nutrition, may be used as medicine. Gyrophora has the function such as nutritious, sterilization, releasing pressure, improving eyesight and prolonging one’s life according to Li Shizhen’s " Compendium of Materia Medica ". The gyrophora also can treat with proctoptosia and liver cancer. It can sterilize as well as guard against crisply by eating gyrophora in summer. At the same time, crag ear also is a kind of food with high nutritional value, it has strong glutinous after boiling, tastes wonderful fragrant and delicious; If makes soup with meat, is more delicious. At northwest Hunan area, crag ear is used for preventing food from changing carious and spoiled. It is said that, in hot summer season, the fresh broth will be still tasty after 3 to 5 days as long as putting several pieces of crag s ears into.
　　 It should use proper method to eat crag ear, firstly put crag ear into 30-70 ℃ warm water to soak for 7 to 8 hours, then gently rub in the water that used for washing rice (or sujee) after crag ear unfolding, clear sand and dust, then filter and dry to eat. It is tasty to cook chicken soup by using crag ear, but the crag ear should be put in after the chicken is basically cooked, avoid by all means to fry or cook together with chicken. It is also high-grade food to cook crag ear with spareribs and trotter, same procedure.