No, not those kinds of mushrooms. I'm talking about edible mushrooms. Wait, hold on. Let me rephrase that.
What I mean to say is that we're talking about mushrooms in the culinary world. You know the type. These are the mushrooms that don't require candles, music, and bright colors to fully enjoy. The mushrooms that you put into risotto, on pizza, over a steak, and…in your coffee alternative? Ok, let's start at the beginning.
Humans have been eating mushrooms for a long, long time. (Let's have a moment of silence for the brave souls who took the time to try all the mushrooms to find out which ones were delicious, which ones were disgusting, and which ones were deadly.)
Mushrooms are strange, spongey little things. And for many, they're a tasty topping or star in a number of dishes. I know that you didn't come here for fun fungus tips, but I'm going to give you two fun fungus tips.
- King trumpet mushrooms make an excellent vegetarian or vegan substitute for seared scallops. So the next time you have a cooking date with the vegetarian guy or girl you met at yoga class, you don't have to panic and serve a bowl of raw broccoli.
- There are many great holy trinities. But the holiest trinity is mushroom, shallot, and butter. There are many variations to this combination (switch up the mushrooms), and ways to improve it (garlic and thyme). But simplicity is best.
No matter how you decide to eat your mushrooms, the exciting thing is that mushrooms are good for you. In fact, they're really good for you. Mushrooms contain B vitamins, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, copper, magnesium, and more.
But what separates mushrooms is their high concentration of polysaccharides, indoles, polyphenols, and carotenoids, which have all shown in studies to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer benefits.
While you should always be wary of grand claims, and should always remember that eating mushroom risotto won't make you live until you're 150-years-old, there is a lot of promising research being done to find out how potent mushrooms really are.
There is, unfortunately, one major drawback to mushrooms: not everyone likes them. Hard to believe for those of us who love them, but there are plenty of people who think that mushrooms taste like dirt or feet, or dislike the idea of eating a fungus, or simply hate the texture.
Well, we've got some good news for you. Okana is plumb full of mushroom powders (using some of the healthiest mushrooms, like reishi and lion's mane) and you would never know from drinking a cup. Okana doesn't taste or smell like mushrooms. Seriously!
It's like mom packing her tomato sauce full of vegetables to trick her kids into eating healthier. Or like dad sneaking medication into a sausage to trick the dog into taking its vitamins. In a weird way, Okana tricks you into incorporating powerful, healthy mushrooms into your daily diet. (Shh, don't let the secret out.)
So raise a mug of Okana to your health. And raise a mug to the magical world of mushrooms. These funny little fungi might prove to help us in a number of ways, from breaking down hazardous waste to providing alternative energy. In the meantime, help yourself and drink your daily serving of mushroom with Okana – the ultimate coffee alternative.