They help increase the activity of white blood cells produced and improve the body’s lymphocyte function, equipping it to better fight off infections. Reishi mushrooms are natural immune system boosters. Here are a few of their widely sought-after health benefits: In cooking, reishi mushrooms are primarily used for added medicinal purposes rather than for their flavor.

The mushrooms are typically slow-cooked in a savory broth or stew as longer cooking times help break down their tough texture. When used in savory dishes, reishi mushrooms are usually added in small quantities so are unlikely to influence the overall flavor beyond a mild, often complementary, earthiness. The sharp woody flavor of the drink can be mellowed with honey and fresh or ground ginger. The most popular way to prepare reishi mushrooms is dried and made into tea. The younger, white outer ring of the mushroom, meanwhile, is meaty and tender with a slight buttery undertone. Most of the fungus’ bitterness is concentrated in the tough dark flesh closer to the center. Whole reishi mushroom has a deeply earthy flavor with bitter overtones. Modern scientific studies have proven many of these claims, and the mushroom is steadily gaining mainstream popularity in both the East and the West. Herbal healers believed the fungus could slow aging, improve health, and treat a myriad of medical conditions. Its Chinese name, lingzhi, translates directly to “mushroom of immortality”. Reishi mushroom has long been a staple of Eastern medicine, particularly in China.

Read on to learn more about the medical and culinary uses of this magical mushroom. With such extravagant nicknames as “divine mushroom”, “king of mushrooms”, and “soul mushroom”, the reishi is certainly one intriguing fungus.

The long dark reishi tea