Our Favorite (super easy) Slow Cooker Reishi Tea Recipe
Learn how easy it is to make our Reishi tea recipe
Tea is the simplest way to extract any herb or mushroom. It doesn’t require much herbal knowledge or any special equipment. If you have access to Reishi mushroom, clean water, a pot, and a heat source, you can make Reishi tea. It truly is that easy. (How many times in life can you say that?) In fact, once you make it, you likely won’t need a Reishi tea recipe — you’ll know the process by heart. You can make Reishi tea with fresh fruiting bodies if you’re lucky enough to find one (or more) growing in a forest near you. Known as “the mushroom of immortality” and the queen of mushrooms (among other monikers), Reishi prefers to grow on elm, alder, oak, and some conifers across North America, Europe, South America, and Asia.*
Why drink Reishi tea?
Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) doesn’t look like the mushrooms you buy at the supermarket, and if you tried to bite into one, you might even chip a tooth! While you do consume the fruiting body, these mushrooms need to be extracted first. They’re really tough. Reishi tea has been consumed for hundreds of years in China and elsewhere. It can be bitter, which is a sign of its potency. One of its most active components, called triterpenes, naturally tastes bitter. We think that our Reishi mushroom tea tastes like bitter chocolate, and we often play up that flavor. Use this basic Reishi tea recipe as a base for hot cocoa, sip it while you savor a square of really good chocolate, or swap (cooled) Reishi tea for the water called for in your favorite brownie recipe! Reishi tea can:
- Support the immune system*
- Promote healthy relaxation*
- Support healthy lung function*
- Promote a sense of well-being, as a tonic herb*
For more Reishi recipes to go with your Reishi tea recipe, check out this blog post!
Slow Cooker Reishi Tea Recipe
The easiest way to make Reishi tea is in a slow cooker. Tough mushrooms like this one like to cook slow and low, and a slow cooker is the safest way to do so. If you don’t have one, simply simmer your Reishi tea in a pot on the stovetop, but keep an eye on it so all the water doesn’t evaporate.
Pressed for time? Use an Instant Pot or pressure cooker to make this Reishi tea recipe in under an hour.
Serves 1
1-inch piece dried Reishi mushroom (or 1 teaspoon ground dried Reishi mushroom)
1 quart filtered water
Add the Reishi and water to your slow cooker. Set the temperature to low, then let cook for four to eight hours, or up to overnight. Strain before serving.
This mushroom can be bitter — that’s how you know you have a strong cup of Reishi tea — so feel free to flavor it with any of these additions:
- A slice of fresh ginger
- A drizzle of honey
- A wedge of fresh lemon or orange
- A sprinkle of dark cocoa powder
- A sprinkle of ground cinnamon or cardamom
- Fresh grated garlic (for a savory version)
- Fresh rosemary or thyme (simmered with the Reishi)
Not all Reishi is created equal! To ensure yours comes from a quality source, reach for Mushroom Revival’s double-extracted Reishi tincture. This Certified Organic tincture is double extracted using both hot water and alcohol, to ensure a potent tincture packed with as much Reishi goodness as possible.*
