Roasted Dandelion and Mushroom Chai Tea

I’ve been drinking a cup of roasted dandelion tea mixed with medicinal mushrooms daily for over a year now. This practice stemmed from both wanting to incorporate medicinal mushrooms into my life combined with a love of the coffee-like taste of roasted dandelion tea. I also knew of the benefits of incorporating more bitter flavor into my diet in order to help with liver stagnation. For me and my body, liver stagnation manifests as as skin issues, mainly cystic hormonal acne. And I have to say that having this daily cup of bitter tea has done more for my hormonal acne than anything I’ve ever done in the past. I can’t say for sure if the mushroom powders I add to the tea make a difference, but they certainly don’t hurt. This particular chai tea is a dressed-up version of the tea I drink on a daily basis. It’s a special blend of warming herbs and spices with the added benefits of roasted dandelion and medicinal mushrooms.

Roasted Dandelion and Mushroom Chai (makes about 5 cups)

6 cups water

1 3-inch piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons cardamom pods, crushed

3 cinnamon sticks

8 whole star anise

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

3 tablespoons roasted dandelion root granules

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 tablespoon mushroom powder (I do a combination of chaga, reishi, and cordyceps)

Combine the water, ginger, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and peppercorns in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the dandelion root granules and simmer another 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Strain into a quart sized glass jar and stir in the vanilla extract and mushroom powder. Allow to cool and store in the fridge for up to two weeks. When you want to drink some, pour some into a small pot to warm up. Add your favorite sweetener and any type of milk to taste.