Functional mushrooms have a lengthy history as a health and wellness supplement, and these fungi are even utilized as an adjutant treatment for cancer in Japan and China. In North America, these products are most commonly sold in powdered form, but what does mushroom powder taste like? Is it pleasant or awful? And if you don’t appreciate the taste of mushrooms, how can you possibly consume it?
There’s a lot to unpack with mushroom powder, beginning with the mushrooms that serve as the base.
What Is Mushroom Powder?
Whether you call them functional mushrooms, adaptogenic mushrooms, or medicinal mushrooms — it’s all the same, because the relevant point is not the name but the fact that functional mushrooms offer more than just nutrients and can augment your health in various ways.
Functional mushrooms are practically overflowing with bioactive compounds like beta glucans, adaptogens, antioxidants, polysaccharides, and more. Together, these compounds provide some incredible healing potential and can aid in the prevention of serious illness as well as with day to day function.
Depending on where you live, you can possibly venture out to the local grocery store and buy raw functional mushrooms, to eat, cook with, or crush up into your mushroom powder. Of course, this is hardly the most efficient way to use functional mushrooms; for best results, you’ll want to buy a specially formulated functional mushroom product.
Before many inquiring customers are convinced to give functional mushrooms a try, they often want to know; What Does Mushroom Powder Taste like? And if I don’t like the taste, how can I mask the taste?
How To Use Mushroom Powder
Mushroom Powder Flavor
In general, most mushroom powders have an earthy taste but some types of mushrooms are more appetizing than others. Turkey Tail mushroom powder has a sweetness to it that’s akin to a desert — add it to a fruit smoothie or juice and the flavor will meld into your beverage, and you might not notice it’s there.
Other mushrooms have a savory flavor, suitable as a spice for cooking, whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
How To Use It
Sweet
The best aspect of mushroom powder is how versatile it is for cooking and baking. If you’ve purchased a mushroom powder with a sweet flavor, you can easily sprinkle the powder on top of a bowl of ice cream, or throw some powder into a cookie recipe. The sweetness mixes well with any fruity ingredients, such as a glaze or filling, and if in a hurry, just mix the powder into some yogurt and you’re all set.
Savory
Mushroom powder that has a savory flavor is perfectly matched to entrees. You can put a light dusting on roasted vegetables and add some to your steak seasoning for a kick, and a dose of adaptogens. Another great option is to add mushroom powder to stir fry, and because mushrooms are a common ingredient in these dishes, the powder won’t alter the taste for many recipes.
Bitter
Most brands try to produce mushroom powder that’s tasty and easily infused into recipes, but some mushroom powdered supplements are bitter. Fortunately, bitter mushroom powders are the perfect addition to black coffee, especially dark roast coffee. You’ll find that bitter powders also blend well with hot chocolate and cocoa.
What Kinds Of Mushrooms Are Found In Mushroom Powder?
There are numerous types of adaptogenic mushroom powder — those specialized for a single purpose, and powders which are geared for whole body and mind benefits, mixing a matching multiple kinds of mushrooms in one product. While ingredients vary, these are the most common functional mushrooms available in powdered format.
Chaga
The natural appearance of Chaga won’t excite shoppers or foodies for that matter. Chaga grows on the side of birch trees, in blackened clusters, with an appearance that’s best described as burnt tree bark. This mushroom is antioxidant-rich, and packed with beneficial bioactive compounds. Chaga mushrooms are anti-inflammatory, and they contain compounds that could help you manage blood sugar and lower your cholesterol.
Cordyceps
Cordyceps‘ beginnings read like something straight out of a horror story. This parasitic mushroom grows in ghost moth larvae, and eventually kills and subsequently mummifies its host. The mushrooms sprout from the head of dead caterpillars. What’s relevant for consumers is that another cordyceps species is actually grown from rice and soy. Cordyceps mushrooms are in demand for their energizing effects and potential to enhance athletic performance. The mushrooms can also aid with inflammation and stress.
Lion’s Mane
The bushy, white, mane-like exterior of this mushroom strain is the inspiration for the name — Lion’s Mane. This functional mushroom is desired by shoppers who are seeking a boost in cognitive performance. Lion’s Mane mushrooms can help with memory retention and in sustaining focus. Some people use Lion’s Mane to manage mild symptoms of anxiety and depression, and in dealing with day to day stress. Lion’s Mane mushrooms might also help with REM sleep, thereby helping users get a more restful night of sleep in general.
Maitake
Maitake mushrooms grow at the base of older maple trees and oaks trees. The mushroom has a ruffled appearance and a robust earthy flavor, often sautéed in a pan with butter or thrown into the mix in a stir fry. Maitake is packed with adaptogens and antioxidants, and could help with the management of diabetes and cholesterol. Studies on mice showed promise for Maitake as a potential treatment for cancer as the mushrooms inhibited tumor growth in limited studies.
Reishi
Arguably the most flexible functional mushrooms with wide-ranging effects — reishi is one strain that can be found on almost every functional mushroom website. Reishi’s benefits are impressive, and many people rely on this mushroom for sleep, and to combat persistent fatigue during the daytime. There are immune boosting properties in this fungus and the mushroom is traditionally used in Chinese medicine as a ward for infections. There’s a belief in some circles that Reishi has antihistamine effects and could even help in the prevention of neurological disorders, though more research is needed.
Shiitake
Shiitake mushrooms are a beloved culinary ingredient, and many people cook them purely for their flavor without a second thought as to the potential health benefits contained in this strain. The compounds found within Shiitake mushrooms suggest antibacterial potential and support the premise of using Shiitake mushrooms as an immune boosting supplement. Beta Glucans are found in these mushrooms in high concentrations and that could aid with heart health and in lowering cholesterol levels.
Turkey Tail
The name “Turkey Tail” references the fan-like shape and versicolor hue of these functional mushrooms. Turkey Tail mushrooms are often taken by people who want to improve their gut health because Turkey Tail can improve diversity in the gut microbiome, and given that a large share of our immune system is contained in the gut, this can also provide a boost for the immune system. These functional mushrooms might aid people in weight loss and help with obesity, and there’s some research into Turkey tail as a potential treatment for certain types of cancer.
Mushroom Powder Products
It’s sometimes fun to tinker with recipes and find the best food items and beverages to mix with mushroom powder, and yet, who has time for tinkering? Many shoppers choose to purchase mushroom products which are pre-mixed for easy ingestion and made for a specific purpose. These products are ideal for integrating into your daily routine without any preparation or consideration required.
Mushroom Coffee
Of all the functional mushroom products for sale, it’s coffee that’s in high-demand. Mushroom coffee fits into the lifestyle of many people who desire to take adaptogenic mushrooms because you drink it first thing in the morning, it easily covers any bitter taste sometimes associated with mushroom powder, and it augments coffee beverages by removing the jitters and the caffeine crash.
Brain Brands Seven Mushroom Blend Coffee brings together the effects of Chaga, Cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, Maitake, Reishi, Shiitake, and Turkey Tail for a mushroom coffee that leaves no shroom out.
Mushroom Powder Benefits: Body, Mind, And Convenience
Choosing the right mushroom powder can result in an array of health benefits, both for your body and mind. Functional mushrooms augment the nervous system, reduce inflammation, combat stress and anxiety, bolster immune function, and can support the healthy function of organs. The effects of functional mushrooms are currently undergoing more research and the application for these products will surely increase in time as we acquire a complete understanding of these ancient fungi and their healing potential.
Mushroom powder is convenient for use as a daily supplement, and while you could gain the benefits of functional mushrooms by purchasing them raw, only a powder or premixed mushroom formula will deliver the benefits of up to 7 functional mushrooms in a single serving.
References:
- https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/mushrooms-pdq
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/shiitake-mushrooms
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/turkey-tail-mushroom
- Jayachandran, M., Xiao, J., & Xu, B. (2017, September 8). A critical review on health promoting benefits of edible mushrooms through gut microbiota. International journal of molecular sciences. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5618583/
- Masuda, Y., Nakayama, Y., Tanaka, A., Naito, K., & Konishi, M. (2017, March 9). Antitumor activity of orally administered maitake α-glucan by stimulating antitumor immune response in murine tumor. PLOS ONE. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0173621
- Tinsley, G. (2018, March 31). 6 benefits of Reishi Mushroom (plus side effects and dosage). Healthline. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/reishi-mushroom-benefits
