Mushroom tea, a beverage made from dried mushrooms or other forms of fungus, has become increasingly popular as an excellent caffeine-free alternative to coffee for those trying to reduce caffeine intake or simply looking for ways to decrease it altogether. It has long been touted as being invigorating, promoting focus and offering various health benefits such as stress relief, weight loss, immune system support and more. While not as stimulating as coffee or tea, green tea’s caffeine kick can still give your day a kickstart. Eastern traditions have long relied upon medicinal mushrooms for both cognitive and somatic benefits, acting as immunomodulators to adjust to daily changes to our immune systems and offering powerful antioxidant protection similar to green and black teas.

As an easy and quick way of providing yourself with some mushroom goodness each morning, making tea is the simplest solution for mushroom consumption. Not only is the process fast and straightforward; tea also allows for creative experimentation when selecting various mushroom blends and species. Furthermore, tea provides a wonderful option for people who find capsules or tinctures difficult to swallow due to various health issues.

Reishi, turkey tail and cordyceps mushrooms are widely used for making tea. Each species boasts specific health-boosting benefits; for example, reishi is well known for its anti-aging and stress reduction abilities while turkey tail assists digestion while cordyceps improves oxygen uptake and endurance.

To make homemade tea, the most crucial step is hydrating your mushrooms first. This involves submerging them in water or some combination thereof for several hours until all chitin in their cell walls has disintegrated, releasing water-soluble medicinal constituents into solution.

Once the mushrooms have been fully hydrated, you are ready to start the brewing process. Depending on your preferences and desired benefits, various flavors can be added to create customized blends such as those featuring lion’s mane and chaga for mood enhancement, combined with reishi and cordyceps for energy boosting and focus enhancing effects.

Another option is purchasing mushroom tea or powdered extract that has already been combined with coffee or matcha. While this solution might be simpler and quicker, its effects might not be as customizable. If opting for this route, set aside time each morning to consume the tea so as to reap its full benefits of consistent consumption.