Reishi goes by several names depending on where you are standing: lingzhi in China, reishi in Japan, linh chi in Vietnam, yeongji in Korea. Botanically it is Ganoderma lucidum, a hard, glossy, fan-shaped mushroom that grows on wood and is far too tough to eat.
That last part explains everything about how it is prepared. You cannot cook reishi like a mushroom. You extract it.
Why it is always a decoction
Reishi's compounds sit inside a woody structure that hot water alone does not open quickly. Traditional preparation is a long simmer — a decoction — rather than a steep. Dropping slices in a mug of hot water for four minutes gives you faintly bitter water.
Brewing from dried slices
- Use about 3–5 slices (3–5 g) per litre of water.
- Bring to a boil, then drop to a low simmer for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Strain. The liquid should be amber to dark brown.
The same slices can usually take a second pass. Many households simmer a pot in the morning and drink it through the day, warm or cold.
Granulated tea, the shortcut
Instant granulated reishi tea is already extracted and dried, so a sachet dissolves in hot or cold water in seconds. You lose control over strength and gain the ability to actually have some at work. For most people that trade is worth it — the best preparation is the one you keep up.
About the bitterness
Reishi is bitter, and the bitterness is the point: it comes from triterpenes, the compounds the mushroom is prized for. A reishi tea with no bitterness at all has been either heavily diluted or heavily sweetened.
You do not have to endure it neat. The traditional fixes are the good ones:
- Red dates (jujube) — the classic pairing, sweetens and rounds the edge
- Honey — added after the pot comes off the heat
- Goji berries or longan — fruity sweetness
- Liquorice root — a small piece goes a long way
- A few slices of red ginseng — makes a heartier, more warming pot
Where it comes from
Reishi grows across East Asia, and Korea's mountainous, humid terrain suits it particularly well — Korea is a major producer of high-grade reishi today, which is why so much of the granulated tea on the market is Korean.
Culturally it has carried the same association for two thousand years: it appears in art and literature as a symbol of longevity, which is why it turns up in gift boxes rather than in the everyday tea cupboard.
Two practical notes
Start light. A weak pot you enjoy beats a strong one you abandon. You can always simmer longer next time.
Ask your doctor if you take medication. Reishi is traditionally taken over long periods, and anything taken daily deserves that check — particularly alongside blood thinners.
Our granulated reishi tea sits in the herbal & traditional collection, alongside the other things in this category that are simmered rather than steeped.