Humboldt jumps on medicinal mushroom drink trend
As Humboldt prepares itself for another rainy season, mushrooms are once again everywhere to be found. Mushrooms are a big deal here — foraging and preparing mushrooms is almost like a sport in this part of California. Lately, these mushrooms have been making an unexpected appearance in cafes and grocery stores in the form of coffee-mushroom blends. Brands like Four Sigmatic’s coffee boosts not only energy, but also claims to improve cognitive function. In many cases, the main mushroom associated with cognitive benefits is the Hericium erinaceus mushroom, more commonly known as Lion’s Mane.
Nam Lee is a traditional Chinese medicine expert and acupuncturist with Lee Acupuncture clinic based in Newport Beach, California. While Lee does not commonly prescribe lion’s mane to patients, she says it has many proven healing properties.
“I see Lion’s Mane as a highly beneficial supplement, and it’s frequently asked about by our community. It’s great for supporting cognitive function and neurological health,” Lee said.
While this beverage has become ‘trendy’ somewhat recently, this practice of medicinal mushrooms has been around for centuries. Lee is excited to see that these medicines are becoming more available and mainstream in California.
“Bringing these traditional Chinese herbs into coffee shops introduces more people to their benefits in a casual, approachable way. It’s a wonderful step toward integrating holistic health into modern lifestyles,” said Lee.
One place that has been encouraging people to incorporate this holistic mushroom medicine is Culture Shrooms, a Long Beach-based company that set up shop in Arcata last April. They sell all kinds of medicinal mushrooms in various forms such as tea, cocoa, capsules and of course, coffee.
The co-owner of Culture Shrooms, David Poplin, thought Humboldt was a particularly good market for these mushroom products..
“Our community is filled with people that have spent so much time in their field, so what not better place?” Poplin said.
Within the time that they have been open, Poplin confirmed that their sales of mushroom coffee has steadily increased as people learn more about their benefits.
“It’s taken a little bit of education to convince people that the option of intaking these nutritious mushrooms in a good beverage is a good way,” Poplin said. “It’s starting to really catch on.”
Four Sigmatic’s mushroom coffee that is sold at Culture Shrooms and other locations costs $15 to $20 and is one of the most popular brands.
But for some, mushroom coffee has become a part of people’s diets and many claim to feel the difference between mushroom infused drinks and your regular cup of morning joe. One regular mushroom coffee drinker is Luke Shanafelt, a journalism major at Cal Poly Humboldt.
He prefers mushroom coffee that doesn’t contain caffeine. The powdered mushroom mix contains reishi, cordyceps, and lion’s mane. He doesn’t love the taste, but claims that it boosts his cognitive function.
“I usually mix it in a protein shake to help with the taste,” Shanafelt said. “It’s all for the cognitive benefits really.”
Mushroom drinks may not have award winning taste, but they are definitely becoming more popular within Humboldt’s community, and the potential health benefits could be the cherry on top.
