Making dibicai (ground fungus) is not difficult; once it is cleaned of sand, cooking it is simple and delicious.

Dibicai (ground fungus), whose scientific name is Nostoc commune, is also called dier, diruan, or leigongjun in various places. It is a terrestrial cyanobacterium that grows flat against the ground and mostly appears on grasslands, field ridges, and barren slopes after rain. It looks like soaked black wood ear mushroom, forming dark green or brown gelatinous sheets, with a smooth and tender texture that has a slight crunch and a faint fresh aroma, making it a very popular wild food ingredient.

When preparing dibicai, washing is the first and most crucial step. Because it grows close to the ground, sand and bits of grass easily hide in its folds, and cooking it directly will affect the texture. Usually, it is first soaked in clean water until soft, then a little flour or starch is added and it is gently rubbed and washed so that impurities are absorbed, after which the water is changed repeatedly and it is rinsed several times until the water in the basin becomes clear.

Home-style ways to prepare dibicai are mainly stir-frying, mixing as a salad, and using it as a filling. The most classic is scrambled eggs with dibicai, where the egg mixture coats the tender algae, making it fresh, savory, and good with rice; it can also be stir-fried with Chinese chives or cured meat, or blanched and tossed with minced garlic and aromatic vinegar. Using it as a filling for steamed buns or dumplings, or pairing it with tofu in soup, also gives a very distinctive flavor. When stir-frying, the cooking time should not be too long, so as not to lose the smooth, tender texture, and before making fillings the water must be squeezed out to prevent excess moisture from affecting the finished product.

It should be noted that when picking dibicai, avoid roadsides, areas near factories, and other places that may be contaminated, and wild algae of unknown origin are not recommended for consumption. Fresh dibicai does not keep easily, so it is generally spread out to air-dry or sun-dried and then stored sealed; before eating, soak it in warm water until softened, then clean and cook it as described above.