Reishi Mushroom

Reishi is a glossy, fan-shaped mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum, firm and woody in texture with a bold, earthy bitterness. It is traditionally called the Mushroom of Immortality.

It is native to Asia and has long been celebrated in Traditional Chinese culture.

The dried slices are hard and corky, glossy red-brown and woody, with an earthy aroma and a firm bitter taste rather than a savoury one. That is why it is treated as a long-simmered ingredient and not eaten like an ordinary mushroom. It is known as reishi in Japanese and lingzhi in Chinese. Technique tip: simmer gently with a lid on for a good while, then reuse the slices for a second, milder batch.

How to use it

Reishi is not cooked as an ordinary mushroom; the texture is too woody for that. Simmer slices for an extended time instead, which draws out a deeply earthy, bitter tea, or add them to stocks and East Asian soups for complexity and umami depth. In powdered or sliced form it is also used to infuse oils and liquids. The bitterness wants company: pair it with bold ingredients such as ginger, ginseng or citrus.

Details

Also known as

Reishi Mushroom
Lingzhi
Red Reishi
Immortality Mushroom
Ten-Thousand-Year Mushroom
Mushroom of Spiritual Potency
Ganoderma Lingzhi
Lucky Fungus
Divine Mushroom
Ling Chi / Ling Zhi (霊芝 / 灵芝)