Many ancient healing systems rely on food as the first form of medicine, and mushrooms may well be some of the first nutraceuticals, or functional foods, known to man.
In many traditional cultures from China to Scandinavia, to Brazil to Australia, mushrooms play an essential role in lore, medicine and diet. Not all mushrooms are edible, and not all are therapeutic but lucky for us, several well-documented species are recognised for their incredible health benefits, especially for their bolstering effect on the human immune system.
The mushrooms we are talking about are often tree mushrooms, sometimes culinary mushrooms and are all ancient medicines that are still relevant in modern times. We call them medicinal mushrooms, and we love talking about them.
What is your favourite mushroom and why?