My Chaga Chai Latte Recipe
You’ve got to be careful when you start declaring your new love of mushrooms to friends and family members; a very quick disclosure that no, they’re not all ‘magical’ – is often required! Well, actually I’d argue that they are. You may have spotted the YouTube video where I attended a Wild Swim morning with Chloe, and also the founder of Dirtea; Simon Salter; and this kick started a new fascination with mushrooms, specifically in powder form – and my favourite way to enjoy them is within this seasonal and frankly sensational Chaga Chai drink.
Today I’m going to be talking about some of the health benefits of mushrooms, and sharing a recipe for my new favourite afternoon treat. I know that the thought of putting mushrooms in a drink seems odd, but I promise that it’s both utterly delicious and packed with antioxidants and so many other health benefits!
What is chaga?
Chaga is a type of mushroom which has been dubbed ‘the energy mushroom’, as consuming it gives caffeine-like effects, but without the horrible crash at the end! Amazingly, it contains incredibly high levels of antioxidants, which means it’s excellent for your health in general, and specifically for your immune system.
I first came across chaga through the brand Dirtea. If you watch my Youtube Videos, you’ll know that I have been using Dirtea products for many months now and am a big fan. Dirtea is a brand which was created a few years back by brothers, Simon and Andy, who realised the incredible power of mushrooms for our health.
They discovered that a variety of mushroom species can be consumed to improve our focus, energy levels and even our sleep! The brothers therefore created the Dirtea brand to harness the power of mushrooms, and to make these odd little funguses a bit more palatable (for those like me who don’t like mushrooms!).
To jump on the mushroom bandwagon, all you need to do is order a tin of Dirtea’s pure mushroom powder, and depending on what vibe you want, you can choose between a focus on performance, energy, calm… the list goes on. My personal favourite is the chaga mushroom powder. Read on for my chaga chai latte recipe.
My chaga chai latte recipe
Ingredients
1 teaspoon of chaga mushroom powder
1 slosh of Jeeves & Jericho spiced Bombay chai concentrate
Optional to add some freshly shaved nutmeg on top.
Method
Heat and froth your oat milk in your usual way
Put a teaspoon of mushroom powder in a suitably seasonal glass (like my gorgeous )
Pour over a slosh of Chai concentrate
Add your hot oat milk and stir
I like to add freshly ground nutmeg on top as a garnish and finishing touch.
To make an iced chaga chai latte
Simply pour your latte over a few ice cubes
If you happen to have some spare ice cream (such as homemade cinnamon ice cream!), you could add a scoop for extra yumminess
Other ways to enjoy Mushrooms….
While Chaga is my favourite, and I add into my morning coffee as well as my afternoon Chai, there are so many other ways to enjoy the health and wellness benefits of mushrooms (and no, you can’t taste them!!) – a new favourite of mine is the Dirtea Matcha, as well as adding a scoop of their Coffee into my morning smoothie along with cacao, hazelnuts, oat milk, dates and banana – its delicious!
If you’re interested in learning more, I’d highly recommend tuning into a podcast with the founders of Dirtea, I loved this one on Spencer Matthews podcast as a great overview of how the brand was founded, and how mushrooms can really be an incredible ingredient to add into your diet.
