Are you wondering how you can use beneficial mushrooms in your everyday life?
Here are six different ways we at Glimja use medicinal mushrooms in our daily routines.
Famous medicinal mushrooms are Chaga, Reishi, Cordyceps, Lion's Mane, Shiitake, and Maitake. Feel free to read more about them in this blog post.
1. Mushroomtea
Traditionally, various peoples have made tea from the most well-known mushrooms for hundreds of years.
Brewing your own tea with chaga or reishi can be a cozy habit – especially if you have picked them yourself in the forest. If you don’t feel like going out to look for Chaga, we have ready-made powder.
Tea with dried Chaga powder (not extract)*:
- Use 1-2 level teaspoons per 0.5 liters of water.
- Heat the water to 80-90°C (just below boiling) and pour into a thermos.
- Let it stand for at least 1 hour. It can preferably be left overnight (7-8 hours) to steep properly.
- Or put it directly in a tea strainer in your cup and wait a while. You can dry and reuse the grains as long as they release color.
- For a more flavorful tea, you can mix in fresh ginger, goji berries, or other herbs and let them steep together with Chaga in a thermos.
Facts about heating tree fungi
*Both Reishi and Chaga belong to the family of tree fungi.
They have a structure that is practically impossible for our digestion to extract anything from in their raw form. But when heated in water, many active substances are released that are beneficial to us. Therefore, you need to follow the instructions above if you buy dried chaga powder.
However, Reishi_extract_ and Chaga_extract_ powders are already extracted, so you can just mix them into your smoothie or food directly and enjoy. It is a more expensive product as it has undergone several preparation steps.
2. Mushroomlatte
A modern twist on the classic latte is to make a "latte" with medicinal properties.
If you like coffee, you can mix mushroom extract into your regular coffee, or use one of Four Sigmatics fine powders.
If you want to avoid coffee, you can just as well mix your mushrooms in hot chocolate, turmeric latte, or another tasty hot drink.
Recipe Queen & King Latte, 2 servings
6 dl hot boiled water
2 tsp chaga extract powder
1 tsp reishi extract powder
1 small piece fresh red chili
1 piece fresh ginger
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 dl cocoa powder; if you can't tolerate cocoa, you can choose carob powder
Honey, stevia, or coconut sugar for sweetening to taste
Instructions:
1. Boil water
2. Add chili and ginger and let steep on simmering heat for 10-15 minutes.
3. Strain out the spices and pour the liquid into a blender.
4. Add the remaining ingredients and blend on high until you get a smooth and creamy drink.
5. Serve immediately!
3. Mushroom smoothie
In health circles, smoothies are always an easy solution for most things. The same goes for various mushroom extracts.
Add 1/2-1 tsp mushroom powder (extract) to your favorite smoothie for an extra immune-balancing boost. Mushroom tea can also be used as a base in a smoothie instead of water.
Chaga Coffee Milkshake Recipe, 1 serving
1 frozen banana
1 dl natural cashews soaked overnight
1 dl organic coffee (room temperature)
1 tbsp coconut sugar or two pitted dates
1 dl unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp cocoa powder (or carob)
1/2 tsp real vanilla powder or vanilla extract
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp chaga extract
Instructions:
1. Blend everything in a blender.
2. Pour into a nice glass or two smaller ones.
3. Feel free to top with mint leaves.
4. Mushroom Chocolate
Mushrooms pair well in flavor with cocoa, especially if you also add a tart berry powder; it makes superb homemade chocolate. You can make your own raw food chocolate or chocolate balls.
Reishi Chocolate Balls Recipe
15 dates
1 dl cashews
1 dl walnuts
2 tablespoons powder of reishi
1 tablespoon water
1/2 dl cocoa powder
2 tablespoons honey
Extra cocoa for rolling
Instructions:
1. Start by soaking the dates and cashews separately for ten minutes.
2. Then blend cashews, walnuts, and dates in your food processor until combined.
3. Now add water, honey, cocoa, and reishi and blend again until you get a smooth consistency.
4. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes to firm up.
5. Then use a tablespoon to scoop out the mixture and roll it into a ball.
6. Roll the ball in, for example, cocoa powder or hemp seeds.
Enjoy immediately or store them in the fridge. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
5. Mushroom Ice Cream
Or why not make your own homemade ice cream with mushrooms. The best results come with an ice cream maker.
Recipe Golden Ice Cream
1 dl cashews
1 can full-fat coconut milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8-10 dates
2 teaspoons or 2 capsules (open and use the powder inside) of any mushroom such as Cordyceps, Chaga, Reishi, or Lion's Mane.
3 tbsp cocoa powder
Topping: 1 tbsp cacao nibs or other favorite topping
Instructions:
1. Start by soaking the dates and cashews separately for ten minutes.
2. Then blend all ingredients at high speed for a full minute, or until the ice cream is silky smooth. You want to make sure there are no lumps.
3. Then pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and let run for 30-45 minutes, or until the ice cream sticks to the paddle.
4. You can either enjoy the ice cream immediately as soft serve or freeze for about 4 hours and scoop to serve.
5. Top with cacao nibs or bee pollen.
6. Soup / Broth / Stews / Seasoning
More traditional in Chinese cooking is to use a mushroom as a base for a soup or broth. You can also season stews and other dishes with medicinal mushrooms, which naturally add umami flavor to dishes while providing the mushrooms' nutrients.
Recipe Mushroom Soup, 6 servings
1.8 liters vegetable broth
1/4 dl balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp white miso paste
4 bags green tea
500 grams shiitake mushrooms
4 dl chopped cabbage
2 dl chopped spring onion
2 tbsp Asian sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
6 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
Instructions:
1. Place broth, vinegar, and miso paste in a saucepan and mix well.
2. Remove the labels from the tea bags and put them into the broth mixture.
3. Slice mushrooms and
3. Add the sliced mushrooms and chopped cabbage, spring onion, and garlic and toss with tongs until everything is coated with the broth.
4. Cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for 2 to 2 1⁄2 hours, until the mushrooms and cabbage are completely tender.
5. Discard the tea bags.
6. Spoon into bowls. Drizzle 1 tsp sesame oil over each bowl and sprinkle with 1 tbsp coriander.
Food for thought
Medicinal mushrooms are adaptogens that work to increase the body's ability to adapt to various forms of physical, mental, chemical, and biological stress as well as changing situations.
Adaptogens help create a state of balance in the body and make the body more adaptable. So enjoy these mushrooms!
Do you have more tips on how to enjoy super mushrooms? Share in a comment or ask a question and we will answer!
