Apparently, it IS mushroom powder mixed with actual coffee.
From Harvard Medical School
What is mushroom coffee?
Mushroom coffee is typically made from medicinal mushrooms, rather than the culinary mushrooms you buy at the grocery store. Common varieties used in mushroom coffee mixes include chaga, lion's mane, reishi, cordyceps, king trumpet, and turkey tail, all chosen for their real (or perceived) health benefits.
By the time they're harvested, dried, and processed, the mushrooms in this eponymous brew are barely noticeable, particularly when they're blended with coffee beans, cacao, or tea blends like matcha or chai. Most people report a "nutty" or "earthy" taste — or they don't notice any flavor at all.
The idea behind mushroom coffee is simple: to harness the health benefits of medicinal mushrooms in a convenient and (hopefully) tasty coffee drink.
Maybe. There are many health benefits associated with mushrooms. According to a
recent review published in the journal
Molecules, medicinal mushrooms popular in many fungi-infused coffee blends do have immune-boosting properties and may help regulate metabolism. And, thanks to high antioxidant activity, medicinal mushrooms may also help slow down the aging process.
But again, well-designed clinical trials on humans are lacking. And none of that research was conducted on mushroom
coffee, so there's no guarantee that any health benefits will be retained after the mushrooms are processed and blended into coffee drinks.
So while you probably won't do any harm by swapping your normal cup of joe for a mug of mushroom coffee (and you don't mind paying extra for it), you'd be better off serving a side of shiitakes alongside your morning eggs and cup of java. They have fiber and are low in calories and fat — and they're delicious, to boot.
