Medicinal mushrooms can be difficult to access in their natural state, but they can easily be ground into a powder that mixes well with coffee grounds or instant coffee, producing Reishi coffee that can be consumed as is or transformed into various tasty beverages. Reishi (ganoderma lucidum) has been shown to enhance immune system function, reduce anxiety symptoms and depression levels, regulate blood sugar, help alleviate allergies/eczema symptoms and more.

Mushroom extracts are often mixed with instant coffee and sold in single-use plastic packets, which may be convenient but is harmful to the environment. Making mushroom coffee yourself at home is far superior.

To make mushroom coffee, blend reishi powder with instant coffee and hot water; or grind mushrooms along with ground coffee before brewing in a French press or regular drip brewer machine. It is important to use high-quality coffee that you enjoy sipping; furthermore, allow at least 20 minutes for its beneficial constituents to extract before drinking it.

Danli Luo, a doctoral student in human-centered design and engineering at the University of Washington, has been making use of used coffee grounds as part of her dissertation research. By mixing them with brown rice flour, Reishi mushroom spores, and xanthan gum (a food binder commonly found in ice cream and salad dressing), she creates Mycofluid material that can be 3D printed into various shapes – Reishi mushrooms’ mycelial skin can even help hold separated Mycofluid layers together into complex structures!