Ganoderma Coffee: What It Contains and How to Compare It
1 min read By Mataye
In brief
Ganoderma coffee is instant coffee mixed with reishi powder. What is really in a sachet, how to compare two products and how it differs from mushroom coffee.
Ganoderma coffee is instant coffee mixed with powdered ganoderma, the mushroom also called reishi. It is often sold as "3-in-1" sachets. Here is what it actually contains, how to compare two products and how it differs from a multi-mushroom coffee.
What is ganoderma coffee?
It combines two things: instant coffee and ganoderma (reishi), a hard, bitter mushroom from Chinese tradition. Ganoderma is too tough to cook with, so it is dried, powdered or extracted, then added to coffee, where the roast hides its bitterness.
Ganoderma, reishi and lingzhi are all names for the same mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum.
What is in a sachet?
- Black ganoderma coffee: instant coffee and ganoderma, no sugar.
- 2-in-1: coffee, ganoderma and non-dairy creamer.
- 3-in-1: coffee, ganoderma, creamer and sugar. The most common format, and usually the sweetest.
In many 3-in-1 sachets, sugar and creamer make up most of the weight, and the amount of ganoderma is not always listed.
| Format | Sugar | Creamer | Check first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black ganoderma coffee | No | No | Ganoderma dose per cup |
| 2-in-1 | No | Yes | Share of creamer |
| 3-in-1 | Yes, often a lot | Yes | Sugar per sachet |
How to compare two ganoderma coffees
- Mushroom dose per cup, in milligrams.
- Which part is used: fruiting body (the mushroom itself) or mycelium (the root network, often grown on grain).
- Sugar per sachet.
- Price per cup, not per box.
Does ganoderma coffee have caffeine?
Yes, from the coffee. Ganoderma itself has none. See mushroom coffee and caffeine for the numbers.
What does the research say?
Ganoderma contains polysaccharides (beta-glucans) and triterpenes, studied mostly in the lab and in animals. Human studies are small and mixed, and no benefit is clearly proven. Be wary of any seller who promises it treats a disease.
Who should avoid it?
The same people as for reishi: anyone on blood thinners or before surgery, treated for blood pressure, diabetes or with immunosuppressants, pregnant or breastfeeding, or allergic to mushrooms. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if unsure. Details in our reishi guide.
Ganoderma coffee or mushroom coffee?
Ganoderma coffee has one mushroom. Mataye Mushroom Coffee has ganoderma plus four others, 700 mg of each per cup from fruiting bodies: reishi, lion's mane, cordyceps, chaga and shiitake. No creamer, sweetened with erythritol, 22.8 kcal a cup. Read our full mushroom coffee guide.
Read next: reishi benefits.
Sources
- Cochrane, Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, About Herbs: reishi mushroom
