6 Ways to Get Superfood Mushrooms Every Day & Harness the Benefits of Adaptogens

Are you wondering how to use beneficial mushrooms in your daily life? Here are six different ways that we at Glimja use medicinal mushrooms in our daily routines. Well-known medicinal mushrooms include Chaga, Reishi, Cordyceps, Lion's Mane, Shiitake, and Maitake. Feel free to read more about them in this blog post.

1. Mushroom tea

Traditionally, various cultures have made tea from the most well-known mushrooms for hundreds of years. Making your own tea from chaga or reishi can be a cozy habit – especially if you've collected them yourself in the forest. If you don't feel like venturing into the forest to look for Chaga, we have ready-made powder.

Tea with dried Chaga powder (not extract):

• Use 1-2 level teaspoons to 0.5 liters of water.

• Heat the water to 80-90°C (just below boiling point) and pour into a thermos.

• Let it steep for at least 1 hour. It can advantageously be left overnight (7-8 hours) to infuse properly.

• Or place directly in a tea strainer in your cup and wait a moment. You can dry and reuse the grounds as long as they release color.

• For a more flavorful tea, you can add fresh ginger, goji berries, or other herbs and let them steep together with the Chaga in the thermos.

Facts about heating tree mushrooms

*Both Reishi and Chaga belong to the tree mushroom family. They have a structure that is practically impossible for our digestion to extract anything from in their raw form. But when heated in water, plenty of active compounds that are beneficial for us are released. That's why 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 simply mix them directly into your smoothie or food and enjoy. It's a more expensive product as it has gone through several additional 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 easily mix your mushrooms into hot chocolate, turmeric latte, or other tasty, warm beverages.

Recipe Queen & King Latte, 2 servings

6 dl hot boiled water
2 tsp chaga extract powder
1 tsp reishi extract powder
1 small piece of fresh red chili
1 piece of fresh ginger
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 dl cocoa powder, if you don't tolerate cocoa you can choose carob powder
Honey, stevia or coconut sugar for sweetening to taste

Instructions:

1. Bring water to a boil

2. Add chili and ginger and let simmer 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 speed until you get a smooth and creamy drink.

5. Serve immediately!

3. Mushroomsmoothie

In health circles, smoothies are always an easy solution for most things. This is also true for mushroom extracts of various kinds. Add 1/2-1 tsp of mushroom powder (extract) to your favorite smoothie for an extra immune-balancing kick. You can also use mushroom tea as a base in a smoothie instead of water.

Recipe Chaga-Coffee Milkshake, 1 portion

1 frozen banana
1 dl natural cashew nuts that have been 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. Mix everything in a blender.

2. Pour into a nice glass or into two smaller ones.

3. Top with mint leaves if desired.

4. Mushroom chocolate

Mushroom pairs well with cocoa in flavor, especially if you also add a sour berry powder, it makes superb homemade chocolate. You can make your own raw food chocolate or chocolate balls.

Recipe Reishi Chocolate Balls

15 dates
1 dl cashew nuts
1 dl walnuts
2 tablespoons reishi powder
1 tablespoon water
1/2 dl cocoa powder
2 tablespoons honey
Extra cocoa for rolling

Instructions:

1. Begin by soaking the dates and cashew nuts separately for ten minutes.

2. Then mix cashew nuts, walnuts, and dates in your food processor until they are combined.

3. Now add water, honey, cocoa, and reishi and mix again until you get a smooth consistency.

4. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes to set.

5. Then use a tablespoon to scoop out the mixture and roll into a ball.

6. Roll the ball in cocoa powder or hemp seeds. Enjoy immediately or store them in the refrigerator. 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. You'll get the best results with an ice cream maker.

Recipe Golden Ice Cream

1 dl cashew nuts
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 anything else you like

Instructions:

1. Begin by soaking the dates and cashew nuts separately for ten minutes.

2. Then mix 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. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and let it 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 it for about 4 hours and then scoop and serve.

5. Top with cacao nibs or bee pollen.

6. Soup / Broth / Stews / Seasoning

More traditionally 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 adds a natural umami flavor to dishes while providing the mushrooms' nutrition.

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 green onions
2 tbsp Asian sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
6 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:

1. Put broth, vinegar, and miso paste in a pot and mix well.

2. Remove the labels from the tea bags and place them in the broth mixture.

3. Slice the mushrooms and

4. Add the sliced mushrooms and chopped cabbage, green onions, and garlic and mix with tongs until everything is covered with broth.

5. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until mushrooms and cabbage are completely tender.

6. Discard the tea bags.

7. Ladle into bowls. Drizzle 1 tsp sesame oil over each bowl and sprinkle with 1 tbsp cilantro.

Worth Considering

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 them in a comment or write a question and we'll answer!

Wild Siberian Chaga from Dragon Herbs