Mushroom Teas
People love mushrooms: We look alike. We are each soft, squeezable, sometimes delicious and succulent, sometimes bitter. People, like mushrooms, come in varied, interesting shapes, sizes and colors. Many mushrooms are highly beneficial, some poisonous. You know you are allergic to mushrooms if they make you choke and your heart race. Here are two simple recipes for Asian mushrooms that are valued as longevity tonics.
Shiitake Tea
Makes 1 quart
Shiitake mushroom grows near oak trees and has been harvested for generations as a health food in Japan. It is tender, mild-tasting and combines well when cooked with eggs, pasta or soups. Its health benefits include proven anti-cancer properties.
Ingredients:
1 cup of dried shiitake mushrooms
apple juice to taste
a few drops of lemon juice
Soak the dried shiitake for 15 minutes until they no longer feel hard.
Drain and, in a ceramic coated, earthen or glass pot, simmer the mushrooms in 1 quart of water for 30 minutes.
Add a little pure, organic unfiltered apple juice and lemon juice to taste. Pour the liquid into a decanter and enjoy it with or between meals. The cooked mushrooms can be reused once to make more tea.
Reishi – Goji Berry Tea
Makes 2 quarts
Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucid.) grows in China, Japan, and Vermont. The large, hard, dried mushroom is popularly known as the “Immortality Mushroom” for good reasons. Reishi has been widely researched for its ability to reduce cholesterol and help prevent cancers. It is high in polysaccharides that protect health and wellbeing. Medicinal mushrooms, including reishi, are useful for auto-immune disorders such as arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis. See Healthy Beauty by Letha Hadady for the natural beauty benefits of Asian medicinal mushrooms, including reishi.
Tibetan goji berries, harvested in the Himalayas, are one of the best food sources of antioxidants known to protect health and beauty. Tibetan goji berries, available from www.gojiberry.com at Orcas Island, Washington State, should not be confused with Chinese goji berries (AKA lycium fruit) which are grown in China using pesticides. Tibetan goji berries are plump, pink, tender and tasty.
Ingredients:
1 sliced reishi mushroom top
½ cup dried Tibetan goji berries
Simmer the ingredients in a covered ceramic coated, earthen or glass pot for 1 hour. Make a water extract: If you have a crockpot (slow cooker) you can simmer the ingredients (filling the crockpot with water) at high heat for 2 – 3 hours. A water extract is stronger than a tea or decoction.
Cool and correct the flavor. If the brew is too bitter, you can add 1 or more dried figs while cooking. You can drink as much as you like without side-effects. The ingredients can be reused to save money.
Letha Hadady is the author of Asian Health Secrets and natural health columnist for Heal India magazine. Her website is www.asianhealthsecrets.com
