Cordyceps coffee is your new daily pick-me-up!
Whether it be to help us wake up or to keep us going in the middle of a long day, we all love a good cup of coffee. The addition of cordyceps makes your favorite brew a powerful beverage, offering more than a regular cup would.
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What Is Cordyceps Coffee?
Made with extracts from the Cordyceps fungi, Cordyceps coffee is a new brew quickly rising in popularity.
The Cordyceps ingredient supposedly gives us health benefits such as better heart health, balanced cholesterol levels, and a strengthened immune system.
Cordyceps extracts were first used in Chinese medicine and, in recent years, have caught on in the Western world due to their health benefits and are now used in coffee.
Cordyceps Coffee Benefits
At present, there have been very few studies about its benefits. It is not known what the full benefits of Cordyceps and coffee combined are.
However, there have been many studies regarding Cordyceps itself which we will explore below.
1. Immunity Boosting
According to a study published by the Oriental Pharmacy and Experimental Medicine Journal, certain Cordyceps extracts caused enhanced immunity in humans.
Similar studies have also proven this claim to be true, suggesting that the fungus likely has a positive effect on the immune system.(1)
2. Diabetes Management
Early studies demonstrate the efficacy of cordyceps in managing blood sugar levels. Cordyceps can potentially mimic insulin produced by our bodies.(2)
Research from the Chang-Jung Christian University states that although there is not much evidence to suggest that herbal remedies are good for diabetes, extracts taken from ‘fruiting’ Cordyceps fungi can help manage hyperglycemia caused by diabetes.
3. Anti-Fatigue Properties
Cordyceps has long been used in Chinese and Tibetan medicine due to seemingly curing diarrhea, headaches, coughs, and other fatiguing factors.(3)
A study from the Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine supports this claim, citing multiple studies that have shown a specific strain of Cordyceps has fatigue-reducing properties.
Side Effects
Although it is considered safe to drink, mild side effects include nausea, diarrhea, stomach ache, and dry mouth.
Have yeast or mold allergies? Then you should avoid this brew entirely as it is likely you will be allergic to Cordyceps too.
Taste & Appearance
Appearance
On its own, it looks like regular coffee or black tea. When it comes to texture and viscosity, brewed Cordyceps can also be pretty similar.
The appearance of the final product will depend on how it is prepared.
For example, if made like a latte, it will look like a latte, if it is made like a black coffee, it will look like a black coffee, and so on.
Flavor
Cordyceps alone has a rather unique, earthy-nutty flavor, as most mushrooms and fungi would do. It gives a sweet-mellow and lightly bitter taste to foods such as soups and broths.
When mixed with maple syrup, the Cordyceps flavor gives way to the taste of sweetener and milk. But it does leave off a nutty and slightly bitter aftertaste.
Cordyceps Coffee Recipe
With our Cordyceps coffee recipe, you don’t need to be a barista or a coffee specialist to make and enjoy this sweet new blend.
Nutrition-Packed Cordyceps Coffee Recipe
This Cordyceps coffee recipe will have you feeling like a million bucks!
Ingredients
- Espresso: 2 shots
- Cordyceps Mushroom Blend*: 1 packet
- Oat Milk: 6 oz
- Maple Syrup: 1 tsp
- Cocoa Powder (optional)
Instructions
- Mix your teaspoon of maple syrup and the packet of Cordyceps mushroom powder together in a cup and put to one side.
- Brew your espresso. Once brewed, take the cup and pour the hot espresso into it. Mix the content together thoroughly.
- Take your 6 oz of oat milk and steam it. Once aerated and foamy, pour the steamed milk over the mixture in the cup.
- If your Cordyceps coffee is already to your liking, feel free to simply go ahead and enjoy it as it is.
- If you feel your beverage is not quite complete yet, top it with cocoa powder for a finishing touch.
Summary
Cordyceps coffee is, understandably, a beverage that many coffee drinkers and baristas are quite wary of and unfamiliar with.
Given how ‘up and coming’ this herbal new blend is, however, it is likely that this mushroom coffee will become more common over time as more studies are published about it.
Wondering where your info comes from? We totally understand. Hey Joe only obtains our information from reputable sources. Contents from this article are sourced from the following publications:
- Orient Pharm Exp Med. 2015; 15(1): 7–12: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4371127/
- Life Sci . 2004 Apr 23;74(23):2897-908. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2003.11.003: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15050427/
- Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine volume 10, pages187–192 (2004): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02836405
