Guides & Recipes » Mushrooms
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How to Use Reishi Mushroom Powder: 7 Easy Ways
Reishi mushroom powder has a strong, bitter, woody taste, so the trick is pairing it with flavours that can stand up to it. Cacao, coffee, warming spices and savoury broths all work beautifully. Here are seven easy ways to use reishi powder at home.
The quick answer
Stir a small amount of reishi powder into a hot drink such as tea, coffee, hot chocolate or chai, or blend it into a smoothie. Start with a little and follow the serving suggestion on your pack. New to reishi? Read our beginner's guide to reishi mushroom powder.
1. Classic reishi tea
Stir the powder into a mug of just-boiled water and leave it to steep for 5 to 10 minutes. Add a slice of fresh ginger and a teaspoon of honey. For a stronger brew, simmer it gently in a small pan for 15 to 20 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve.
2. Reishi hot chocolate
Whisk 1 heaped teaspoon of cacao powder, your reishi powder and a little maple syrup into a mug of warm milk. Add a pinch of cinnamon or a drop of vanilla. Chocolate is the best partner for reishi's bitterness.
3. Reishi coffee
Stir the powder into a freshly brewed coffee or whisk it into a latte. The roasted, bitter notes of coffee hide reishi's flavour well.
4. Reishi chai latte
Brew a strong chai, then whisk in warm milk, reishi powder and a little honey. Cinnamon, cardamom and ginger all soften the earthy taste.
5. Chocolate and banana smoothie
Blend 1 banana, 1 tablespoon of nut butter, 1 teaspoon of cacao, your reishi powder and 250 ml of milk until smooth. Add a date for extra sweetness.
6. Miso and ginger broth
Stir reishi powder into a pan of vegetable stock with a spoonful of miso, grated ginger and garlic. Simmer for a few minutes, then add noodles, greens or tofu for a quick, warming bowl.
7. Cacao bliss balls
Blitz 100 g of oats, 8 soft dates, 2 tablespoons of cacao, 2 tablespoons of nut butter and a little reishi powder in a food processor. Roll into balls, coat in desiccated coconut and chill.
Tips for cooking with reishi powder
- Mix the powder with a splash of liquid first to avoid lumps.
- A little sediment at the bottom of the cup is normal; just stir before each sip.
- Pair it with cacao, coffee, ginger, cinnamon, miso or dates.
- Store the pouch sealed in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
Before you start
Reishi isn't suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or for children. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before using it if you take any medication, especially for blood pressure, blood thinning or diabetes, if you have a bleeding disorder or a liver condition, or if you're due to have surgery. Don't exceed the serving suggestion on the pack.
Shop our Organic Reishi Mushroom Powder, or browse all our mushroom powders.
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Mushroom Powders: A Guide to 8 Types and How to Use Them
Mushroom powders are simply mushrooms that have been dried and finely milled. They're an easy way to add mushrooms to drinks and food, especially varieties that are too tough or woody to cook with fresh. This guide covers eight of the most popular types, how they taste and how to use them.
What are mushroom powders?
To make a mushroom powder, the mushroom is cleaned, dried and ground into a fine powder. Some mushrooms, like shiitake, are everyday cooking ingredients. Others, like reishi, chaga and turkey tail, are too hard to eat whole, so they have traditionally been simmered as teas, and powder is the easiest way to use them at home.
8 types of mushroom powder
Reishi
A glossy, reddish-brown mushroom that grows on hardwood trees, known as lingzhi in China. Taste: Very bitter and woody. Try it in: Tea, coffee, hot chocolate and savoury broths. Shop reishi powder
Lion's mane
A shaggy, white mushroom with long, hanging spines, which is where its name comes from. Taste: Mild, slightly sweet and savoury. The easiest to start with. Try it in: Coffee, porridge, smoothies, soups and baking. Shop lion's mane powder
Chaga
A dark, crusty growth found on birch trees in cold northern forests. Taste: Earthy, with a hint of vanilla. Try it in: Tea, coffee and hot chocolate. Shop chaga powder
Turkey tail
A thin, fan-shaped mushroom with striped bands of colour like a turkey's tail. Taste: Earthy and mildly bitter. Try it in: Tea, chai, broths and smoothies. Shop turkey tail powder
Cordyceps
A bright orange, club-shaped mushroom. Taste: Mild, earthy and slightly savoury. Try it in: Coffee, smoothies and hot drinks. Shop cordyceps powder
Shiitake
The familiar cooking mushroom with a brown cap, widely used in Japanese and Chinese food. Taste: Rich, savoury and full of umami. Try it in: Soups, stews, gravies, sauces and seasoning blends. Shop shiitake powder
Maitake
A frilly, clustered mushroom also called hen of the woods. Taste: Rich, earthy and savoury. Try it in: Soups, risottos, stir-fries and broths. Shop maitake powder
Agaricus blazei
A relative of the common button mushroom, with a sweet, almond-like aroma. Taste: Mild, nutty and slightly sweet. Try it in: Smoothies, porridge, soups and baking. Shop Agaricus blazei powder
Which mushroom powder should I start with?
If you're new to mushroom powders, lion's mane is the mildest and easiest to use. For cooking, shiitake and maitake add a rich, savoury depth to soups and sauces. If you like strong, bitter flavours such as dark chocolate and black coffee, try reishi or chaga.
What to look for when buying mushroom powder
- Fruiting body, mycelium or extract: check the label. A fruiting body powder is made from the mushroom itself; mycelium is the root-like network; an extract has been concentrated. These are different products.
- Ingredients: a single-mushroom powder should list that mushroom and nothing else.
- Organic certification: look for a certification logo if organic matters to you.
How to use mushroom powders
- Stir into coffee, tea, chai or hot chocolate
- Blend into smoothies
- Mix into porridge, overnight oats or yoghurt
- Add to soups, stews, gravies and sauces
- Bake into muffins, brownies or bliss balls
For recipes, see how to take lion's mane powder, 7 ways to use reishi and 6 turkey tail recipes.
Before you start
Mushroom powders aren't suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or for children. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before using them if you take any medication or have a health condition, don't use them if you've ever reacted to mushrooms, and don't exceed the serving suggestion on the pack.
Browse all our mushroom powders.
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How to Use Turkey Tail Mushroom Powder: 6 Easy Recipes
Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) is a thin, fan-shaped mushroom with striped bands of colour that look like a turkey's tail feathers. It grows on dead wood and is too tough and leathery to eat whole, which is why it's traditionally simmered as a tea or dried and milled into powder. Turkey tail mushroom powder has an earthy, slightly bitter taste, so it works best in drinks and dishes with plenty of other flavour. Here's how to use it.
The quick answer
The easiest way to use turkey tail mushroom powder is to stir a small amount into a hot drink, such as tea, coffee, chai or hot chocolate, or blend it into a smoothie. Start with a little and follow the serving suggestion on your pack.
1. Classic turkey tail tea
Stir the powder into a mug of just-boiled water and leave it to steep for 5 to 10 minutes. Add a slice of fresh ginger, a squeeze of lemon and a teaspoon of honey. For a stronger brew, simmer it gently in a small pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve.
2. Turkey tail smoothie bowl
You'll need: 1 frozen banana, a cup of mixed berries, a splash of milk, turkey tail powder, and toppings such as granola, seeds and sliced fruit. Blend the banana, berries, milk and powder until thick, pour into a bowl and add your toppings.
3. Turkey tail chai latte
Brew a strong chai tea, then whisk in warm milk, turkey tail powder and a little honey or maple syrup. The warming spices in chai complement the earthy flavour well.
4. Mushroom hot chocolate
Whisk cacao powder, turkey tail powder and a sweetener into warm milk until smooth. Add a pinch of cinnamon or a drop of vanilla for extra depth.
5. Savoury mushroom broth
Stir turkey tail powder into a pan of vegetable or chicken stock with garlic, ginger and a splash of soy sauce or miso. Simmer for a few minutes and use as a sipping broth or a base for noodle soups.
6. Cacao bliss balls
Blitz oats, dates, cacao powder, nut butter and a little turkey tail powder in a food processor. Roll into balls and chill for an easy snack.
Tips for cooking with turkey tail powder
- Mix the powder with a splash of liquid first to avoid lumps.
- Strong flavours such as cacao, coffee, ginger and chai work best alongside it.
- Add it towards the end when making soups and sauces.
How to store it
Keep the pouch sealed in a cool, dry place away from sunlight, and use a dry spoon each time.
Before you start
Turkey tail powder is sold as a food ingredient. If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, have a health condition or have ever reacted to mushrooms, speak to a healthcare professional before adding it to your diet.
Shop our Organic Turkey Tail Mushroom Powder, or browse all our mushroom powders.
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Reishi Mushroom Powder: A Beginner's Guide
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is a glossy, reddish-brown mushroom that grows on hardwood trees. Known as lingzhi in China and used there for more than 2,000 years, it's one of the most famous mushrooms in East Asian tradition. It's far too hard and woody to eat fresh, so it's traditionally simmered into a tea or dried and milled into powder. This guide explains what reishi powder is and how to use it.
What is reishi mushroom powder?
Reishi mushroom powder is made by drying the mushroom and grinding it into a fine, light-brown powder. Because the whole mushroom is tough and woody, the powder doesn't fully dissolve in liquid and a little sediment at the bottom of the cup is normal.
What does reishi taste like?
Very bitter, woody and earthy. Reishi is much more bitter than lion's mane or chaga, so it works best in strong-flavoured drinks and recipes, or with something sweet.
How to use reishi mushroom powder
Start with a small amount and follow the serving suggestion on your pack.
- Reishi tea: stir into just-boiled water, leave to steep for 5 to 10 minutes and add honey, ginger or lemon. For a stronger brew, simmer gently in a pan for 15 to 20 minutes and strain.
- In coffee: stir a little into your morning coffee; the roasted flavour hides the bitterness well.
- Hot chocolate: whisk into warm milk with cacao and a sweetener. Cacao is one of the best partners for reishi.
- Chai latte: add to a spiced chai with warm milk and honey.
- Savoury broth: stir into stock with miso, garlic and ginger.
- Smoothies and bliss balls: blend with banana, dates, cacao or nut butter.
What to look for when buying reishi powder
- What's on the label: check whether it's the whole fruiting body (the mushroom itself), mycelium, or an extract, as these are different products.
- Organic certification: look for a certification logo if organic matters to you.
- Ingredients: a good reishi powder should list reishi and nothing else, with no added fillers.
Reishi vs other mushroom powders
Lion's mane is milder and slightly sweet, chaga is earthy with a hint of vanilla, and turkey tail is earthy and mildly bitter. Reishi is the most bitter of the four, so if you're new to mushroom powders you may prefer to start with lion's mane. For recipes, see how to take lion's mane powder and how to use turkey tail powder.
Who should avoid reishi?
Reishi isn't suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or for children. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before using it if you take any medication, especially for blood pressure, blood thinning or diabetes, if you have a bleeding disorder or a liver condition, or if you're due to have surgery. Don't use it if you've ever reacted to mushrooms, don't exceed the serving suggestion, and stop if you feel unwell.
How to store it
Keep the pouch sealed in a cool, dry place away from sunlight, and use a dry spoon each time.
Shop our Organic Reishi Mushroom Powder, or browse all our mushroom powders.
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Cordyceps Mushroom Powder: What It Is and How to Use It
Cordyceps is one of the most unusual mushrooms in the world, with a long history of use in Tibet and China. Today it's easy to find as a fine, golden-brown powder that stirs into coffee, smoothies and hot drinks. Here's what cordyceps is, how it tastes and how to use it.
What is cordyceps?
Cordyceps is a group of fungi. The most famous, known in Tibet as yartsa gunbu, grows wild on the high Tibetan plateau, where it sprouts from moth larvae buried in the soil. Wild cordyceps is rare, hand-collected and very expensive.
Most cordyceps powders today are made from cultivated cordyceps instead. The most common is Cordyceps militaris, a bright orange, club-shaped mushroom that is grown on a plant-based substrate such as rice or grain. Some powders are made from the mushroom itself (the fruiting body) and others from mycelium, the root-like network, so check the label to see what you're buying.
What does cordyceps taste like?
Mild, earthy and slightly savoury, with a gentle nutty note. It's much less bitter than reishi or chaga, which makes it one of the easier mushroom powders to use.
How to use cordyceps mushroom powder
Start with a small amount and follow the serving suggestion on your pack.
- In coffee: stir into a freshly brewed coffee or whisk into a latte.
- In smoothies: blend with banana, berries, oats and milk.
- Hot chocolate: whisk into warm milk with cacao and a little honey.
- Porridge: stir into porridge or overnight oats with cinnamon.
- Broth: add to a miso or vegetable broth with ginger and garlic.
Tips
- Mix with a splash of liquid first to avoid lumps.
- A little sediment is normal, as mushroom powders don't fully dissolve.
- Keep the pouch sealed in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
Cordyceps vs other mushroom powders
Cordyceps is mild like lion's mane, while reishi and chaga are stronger and more bitter. Compare them all in our guide to mushroom powders.
Who should avoid cordyceps?
Cordyceps isn't suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or for children. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before using it if you take any medication, especially blood thinners or diabetes medication, if you have an autoimmune condition or a bleeding disorder, or if you're due to have surgery. Don't use it if you've ever reacted to mushrooms, and don't exceed the serving suggestion on the pack.
Shop our Organic Cordyceps Mushroom Powder, or browse all our mushroom powders.
