Searches of “how to make reishi coffee” will often turn up dubious recipes using instant coffee-mushroom blends; we think this is plain wrong and this article will show you how to create authentic reishi coffee using high-quality fair trade coffee and pure organic reishi mushroom extract instead.

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) has long been considered the “Mushroom of Immortality,” used as an tonic in Traditional Chinese Medicine to enhance immunity, promote restful sleep, ease fatigue and calm frayed nerves. Reishi is an antioxidant with anticancer, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory properties as well as possible help lower blood pressure levels, decrease cholesterol levels, support liver health and support heart function.

Reishi mushrooms are among the most well-known functional mushrooms, along with cordyceps, chaga, maitake and turkey tail. All four of these products come as single-serve packets which can easily be mixed into coffee or tea for consumption.

However, mushrooms are inedible when left undigested and unchopped, making mushroom extracts an inedible meal on their own. Mushroom powder is typically manufactured by grinding dried fungi into powder; then this powder is mixed with instant coffee before being packaged in single-serving plastic packets for consumption.

Note that mushroom powder’s medicinal constituents can only be found in their fruiting bodies and not mycelium, making certified organic mushroom extracts even more crucial in your coffeemaking. Mushrooms grown on grain tend to lose many of their polysaccharides and beta-glucans during production while those found directly from fruiting bodies of reishi mushrooms provide greater value per dollar spent when making reishi coffee.