Many are familiar with magic mushrooms and their mind-altering effects, but there’s an entire world of medicinal mushrooms without hallucinogens that offer similar therapeutic benefits. Many varieties can even be used to make herbal tea – making these an appealing alternative to coffee for those searching for alternatives.

Mushroom tea is an easy, delicious and cost-effective way to experience the health benefits of mushrooms. Additionally, its adaptability allows enthusiasts to experiment with various ingredients to personalize their experience. The basic method involves boiling water and steeping dried mushrooms before adding herbs and spices for an exciting blend. Some popular additions are: Licorice (cut fresh or tea bags with it), ginger (grated or powdered), cardamom, peppercorns, pepper juniper berries turmeric or coconut milk which all enhance and compliment mushroom taste and flavor!

Traditional methods call for hot water and mushrooms to steep for approximately 15 minutes in order to extract active components, including psilocybin. However, exact timing will depend on individual taste: for a stronger tea taste more time may need to be added when steeping, while weaker tea might only require several minutes to steep.

Another option for making tea is using a French press in place of traditional kettle. Not only is this more convenient, but the resultant tea has a richer flavor profile as well. Furthermore, this method makes dosing easy since precise measurements of mushroom consumption are possible with this device.

Capsules offer another portable option for mushroom consumption, making them suitable for microdosing enthusiasts who require more accurate dosing than is offered through tea or edibles. Unfortunately, though, they’re less popular due to being uncomfortable on the stomach and having strong, bitter flavours.

For those not inclined to brewing their own, there are already prepared mushroom tea brands on the market, typically featuring reishi and/or chaga mushrooms with small amounts of psilocybin added. These teas can be purchased both online and at specialty psychedelic stores. Prices will differ between brands; therefore it is wise to do your research prior to making any purchasing decisions. To ensure quality products look for brands certified as organic and vegan. As mushroom tea can contain pesticides or other potentially harmful chemicals, to reduce risk and ensure its safety it’s always best to seek advice from an experienced retailer or sample different brands until finding one that meets both your preferences and needs.