The other day I received an interesting question in the forum about a unique and powerful mushroom called Ganoderma. This person wanted to know just how to prepare this mushroom to reap its wonderful health benefits. Being that I use Ganoderma in a tea myself, I decided to share my recipe and what I have learned about this mushroom.

Ganoderma also goes by the name Lingzhi and is most commonly known in America as Reishi. Reishi was discovered in China thousands of years ago and was first used by the wealthy as a tonic for longevity. One of the oldest Chinese medical texts which classify all herbs from being the best to average lists Reishi as the number one best. This is probably because it can help cure such a vast array of medical conditions with no toxic side affects, even if taken in large doses. Reishi has been known to help in regulating blood pressure, stress, insomnia, liver function, and even cancer, which is how I discovered Reishi. My mother had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer which led me to research numerous herbal remedies. The one that struck me as most interesting was this great mushroom.

Today Reishi is used as both a preventive and active medicine. It comes in various forms from fresh mushrooms to pills and extracts. Even the mushrooms themselves have various colors and cultivation methods. The best thing to do when choosing a mushroom, pill or extract is to do research. Know the brand or store from where you’re purchasing, and keep in mind that the price usually reflects the product. Another tip to keep in mind is that the more bitter the mushroom or extract, the better it is. The bitterness is an indication of the level of ganoderic acid. This is the active ingredient for obtaining the health benefits. I find that this bitterness is best disguised in a tea. Below is the recipe for my nightly longevity tea. I use a Reishi extract made by MycoMedicinals. This brand has a good amount of the mushroom fruit, and it’s organic in nature. With this particular brand I use 2 tablespoons which is about 60 drops, or 2 grams of mushroom fruit. If you are interested in using this brand, there is a link below that will take you to the extract at Amazon.com. Enjoy!

2 tbsp liquid reishi mushroom extract (2 grams)
1 tbsp vanilla
¼ tsp ginger
2 tbsp sugar
Creamer

Mix all ingredients except creamer together in a 10 oz mug. Add boiling hot water and stir. Add creamer to taste.

Here is the link to the Reishi extract sold at Amazon.com.
New Chapter Reishi 1oz (by New Chapter )