How to Make the Best Magic Mushroom Tea: Recipe, Dosage & Effects

Over the past several decades, acceptance for utilizing psychedelic mushrooms in and for the purposes of medical treatment has burgeoned steadily in mainstream North American media, among wellness experts, and even in clinical laboratories[1]. Notwithstanding the marginal potential risks of ingesting Psilocybin, the bioactive ingredient in the soil-bound hallucinogenic fungi, but in general it has been acknowledged that – in small amounts (microdosing, for example, refers to the consumption of about one tenth of a hallucinogenic dose of magic mushrooms and has become very popular in recent years) – as possessing anxiolytic and antidepressant properties for some patients, and as possibly aiding in the cessation of smoking and other addictions[2]. So-called “magic mushrooms” are also perceived to aid in mental clarity, wellness, and creativity in small, managed doses over time[3].

There is, of course, a pervasive problem with raw mushrooms – to put it simply, they don’t taste particularly good. Further, they can be pretty tough on the stomach, particularly for those who are prone to nausea. For some, the temporary discomfort of munching on magic mushrooms is worth the ultimate trip and the long or short-term positive effects, but those with delicate stomachs often wish to pursue methods of mushroom consumption that ameliorate intestinal distress. One such method is brewing so-called “shroom tea”[4].

Tea alone has been demonstrated to yield numerous health benefits on its own in clinical trials. Such beneficial effects can be immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardioprotective, and even anti-cancerous. Green tea may even reduce the risk of Type II Diabetes, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Parkinson’s Disease[5]. So aside from tasting great, tea can serve as a healthful beverage as an addition to the benefits of consuming mushrooms.

Various types of functional mushrooms – from Reishi to Chaga to Turkey Tail – taste pleasant in tea and aid in supporting a healthy immune system, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, and improving gut health, among many other possible benefits. For these reasons, mushroom tea in various forms has become very popular in general over the past decade or so[6]. However, the aforementioned fungi, of course, do not offer the psychedelic experience Psilocybin mushrooms can. If you elect to opt for Psilocybin mushrooms in your tea, you have the option of microdosing – in which case, you will enjoy the positive, clarifying, cognitively expansive benefits of magic mushrooms without a hallucinogenic experience – or using a psychedelic dose (or if you’re brave a heroic dose) which will hopefully result in a pleasant trip. The nice thing about this experience is that brewing tea can be additionally meditative and relaxing, so it serves as great preparation for a positive shroom trip. For the purposes of this article, we will be focusing on magic mushroom tea specifically, as many interested consumers may be wary of trying Psilocybin tea for the first time.

“Shroom Tea” is widely regarded as one of the best ways to take shrooms.

Read more about how to brew shroom tea below.

Why Shroom Tea?

Shroom Tea vs Eating

As was mentioned previously, shroom tea is quite a bit more pleasant to consume than dried mushrooms on their own and it is also much easier on the stomach. In an analysis of an anonymous 2020 survey of 50 participants, Michelle Janikian of Double Blind points out an important distinction – shroom tea significantly reduced nausea and the possibility of vomiting for a statistically significant majority of the consumers[7]. Bear in mind that this was not a clinical survey; however, much anecdotal evidence supports these findings.

The primary reason why shroom tea is easier on the stomach relates to the fact that the mushrooms are essentially cooked into an extract. Dried mushrooms make consumers nauseous because the raw chitin that makes up the fungi’s cell walls is notoriously difficult to digest[8]. By letting the mushrooms steep in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes, chitin and other hard-to-digest components of the mushrooms’ fruiting bodies begin to break down. Further, in brewing shroom tea, you will more than likely be grinding the mushrooms into a powder, breaking down the chitin into consumable pieces even further.

Mushroom tea is also quite efficacious in bringing on a faster, more intense shroom trip. However, the duration of the trip also tends to be marginally shorter. Essentially, if you are grinding down your mushrooms into a powder and steeping it in hot water, the components are more evenly dispersed in the gastrointestinal system and absorb more quickly. In consuming dried mushrooms, absorption and digestion simply takes longer.

Shroom Tea Benefits

To reiterate, chewing and swallowing dried mushrooms can be a somewhat unpleasant experience, whereas with shroom tea, the components simply go down easier, are absorbed faster, and taste better. Many also enjoy the ritualistic aspect of stewing mushroom powder into a tea. It is important to set one’s mindset and intention before consuming mushrooms; if one is in a negative headspace or environment, the trip can cause paranoia, anxiety, dread, and a whole variety of unpleasant emotions. Brewing tea can be a gentle, meditative experience, placing individuals in calm and reflective states before embarking on a trip. Finally, shroom tea possesses all of the health benefits of tea alongside the enjoyable effects of Psilocybin in one beverage. Even if you’re not interested in consuming a hallucinatory dose of Psilocybin in your tea, you will still benefit from the clarifying and focus-enhancing benefits that can come with microdosing magic mushrooms over time[9].

Shroom Tea Effects

If all goes well, the consumption of shroom tea will result in a good trip (if, that is, you elect to consume a psychedelic dose), which can result in several effects including a peaceful high, giddiness, a sense of well-being, euphoria, audiovisual hallucinations, and other perceptual distortions. A negative trip generally entails paranoia, high anxiety, stomach discomfort and nausea, a fast or irregular heartbeat, and at the very worst, transient psychosis and seizures[10]. To avoid a bad trip, do not exceed the gram and a half limit and drink your shroom tea very slowly. It should take 20-30 minutes to finish it, allowing effects to come upon you gradually and reducing nausea to a minimum[11].

How to Make Shroom Tea

Easy Shroom Tea Recipe

You will need a few ingredients to brew shroom tea. These include:

  1. 1-3 g of dry Psilocybin mushrooms (or 0.1 to 0.5 if microdosing). This is our favorite place to get Magic Mushrooms.
  2. 2 cups of water (around 350-400ml). Distilled water is preferable, this is our favorite.
  3. 2 teabags of decaffeinated tea or herbal tea. Our favorite Herbal Tea, a lot of different flavors here you can try out and find the one you like.
  4. A spoonful of honey if you like, for flavor
  5. Optionally, a few pieces of ginger, especially if you struggle with nausea
  6. Optionally, lemon juice, which can accelerate the onset of the trip if you are eager to get going (See: Lemon Tek)

There are many different ways to brew shroom tea, so we will provide a relatively simple recipe here. The easiest, best way to make shroom tea can be achieved in just six steps.

Step One: Weigh out the desired dose of mushrooms. A low hallucinogenic dose is considered to be around 1 gram and will result in a sense of euphoria and enhanced senses. A high dose is considered to be around 3 grams and will likely result in heavy perceptual distortions and, potentially, a sense of ego dissolution. If you are just starting out, we recommend that you opt for a lower dose. If you are microdosing, you’ll only need about 0.1 to 0.5 grams of mushroom.

Step Two: Grind the mushrooms into a fine powder, or, alternatively, into slightly thicker, tiny pieces with a coffee grinder. Then place the ground mushrooms into a cup.

Step Three: Boil 2 cups of water in a kettle or saucepan. Take the water off the heat and let it cool for around 20 seconds after it boils.

Step Four: Add a teabag and leave it to infuse the hot water for about 10 minutes.

Step Five: Remove the teabag. Filter the remnants of mushroom from the cup you placed it in, pouring the resulting liquid into a bowl. Finally, put the filtered mushrooms back into the cup.

Step Six: Bring the second cup of water to a boil again, with your kettle or saucepan. Once it boils, take it off the heat and let it cool for about 20 seconds.

Step Seven: Pour the water into the cup with your ground mushrooms.

Step Eight: Add a teabag. Let it brew for about 10 minutes.

Step Nine: Mix up a tablespoon of honey, some bits of ginger, and/or a splash of lemon juice.

Step Ten: Drink up and enjoy!

Of course, you will need a few particular items in order to brew shroom tea this way. These include:

  1. A scale. It is very important to know how many grams of mushroom you are consuming for any given trip, so invest in a good scale!. Our Favorite Scale for Mushrooms.
  2. A kettle or saucepan to boil water in.
  3. A Good Grinder. This can be used to grind the fruiting body of the mushrooms into a powder. This step in particular will help with digestion. Our Favorite Grinder for Mushrooms.
  4. A strainer. This is an optional item, but we recommend it, particularly if you are concerned about nausea. The strainer can help remove excess bits of the mushroom’s fruiting body that are difficult to digest and can cause stomach upset. Alternatively, you can place different combinations of loose-leaf herbs and teas with your mushroom powder in an empty tea bag. Any budget friendly strainer will do.
  5. Your favorite cup or mug.[12] But how could you resist some of these amazing mushroom mugs?

Side Effects & Safety

When drinking mushroom tea, it is important to be cognizant of the fact that your trip will likely come on sooner and be somewhat more intense. As is the case with any Psilocybin trip, consumers will want to make sure that they are in an environment where they feel safe and calm (See: Best things to do on shrooms). Otherwise, unpleasant side effects can occur, including paranoia, depersonalization, panic attacks, or even transient psychosis if Psilocybin is ingested in very high quantities[13].

In general, Psilocybin has a negligible addiction potential and even holds promise for treating some substance abuse disorders, from alcoholism to nicotine addiction. However, this substance is contraindicated with individuals who suffer from particular psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, a personal or family history of psychosis, or any kind of heart condition that might cause hypertension and/or tachycardia. Do not ingest Psilocybin in any form if you are pregnant or nursing, as there is no research regarding its safety or efficacy in this context[14].

Do not ever inject yourself with shroom tea or an extract of magic mushrooms in any form. An article published by Live Science in 2021 chronicled the frightening experience of a 30-year-old man who injected shroom tea directly into his veins and ended up in the emergency department with the fungus growing in his blood. He required treatment for multisystem organ failure and remained in long-term treatment for several months. Fortunately, we rarely hear of cases like this, but it is worth repeating for the purposes of public safety – never, ever inject Psilocybin extract or shroom tea into your bloodstream[15].

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

How Long Does Shroom Tea Take to Kick In?

The onset of a shroom tea trip varies in terms of time. However, in general it takes around 30 minutes to an hour for the full effects to kick in. There are several factors that might impact how long it takes for Psilocybin’s effects to set in, including the type of magic mushroom being brewed, the dose of shrooms, and the potentiator (meaning the reactive agent, like lemon juice or another citrus substance, which can help the conversion of Psilocybin in the gut to occur faster)[16].

How Long does Shroom Tea Last?

Again, this really depends on the dosage and a few other factors, but in a general sense one can count on the trip to last for between 10 to 12 hours. Anecdotally, some have even cited that they feel the effects up to 24 hours post-consumption[17].

What do I do with the leftover Shrooms after I make Tea?

You can consume mushroom leftovers if you like, but most opt out of doing so simply because the remaining fruiting bodies can cause nausea and lack potency, or they simply don’t like the taste/texture. Typically, people just throw the extras away[18].

What Magic Mushroom is best for Shroom Tea?

There are over 180 different species of magic mushrooms that grow wild around the globe. Some of the most popular include Psilocybe cubensis (Ex. Golden Teachers), Psilocybe semilanceata (Liberty Caps), Psilocybe azurescens (Flying Saucer Mushrooms), Psilocybe Mexicana (Conical Caps), and Psilocybe cyanescens (Wavy Caps). The most common type consumed globally is Psilocybe cubensis, which is commonly found in the United States, Central America, Southeast Asia, and Northern parts of South America. They are not necessarily the most potent mushrooms of them all, but if you’re not sure which species of magic mushroom you’d like to try, Psilocybe cubensis is probably your best bet. We highly recommend doing extremely thorough research on the type of mushroom you are ingesting, even if you are growing it yourself (in other words, research the supplier of the growing kit and make sure it is legitimate). It’s important to note that depending on which magic mushroom you decide to ingest it will require a different dose, try our magic mushroom dose calculator.

Should I use dry or Fresh Mushrooms for Shroom Tea?

Since you will be grinding up your mushrooms in a coffee grinder or a similar apparatus, you’ll want to keep the fruiting bodies dry and away from humidity[19].

References:

[1] Sellers, Alisha D. What are magic mushrooms and Psilocybin?

[2] Begley, S.  ‘Microdosing’ it touted by ‘shroomers and Reddit users. Science is starting to test their claims – and finding some truth. STAT.

[3] Schraer, R. Psilocybin: Magic mushroom compound ‘promising’ for depression.

[4] Wilcox, A. What do shrooms taste like?

[5] The Hidden Health Benefits of Tea Penn Medicine.

[6] What is Mushroom Tea? Chaga, Reishi, and More

[7] Janikian, M. How to Make Shroom Tea

[8] Bauer, B.E. (n.d.) Why do Magic Mushrooms Cause Nausea?

[9] How to make shroom tea for a highly sophisticated high (n.d.) Mel Magazine.

[10] Dillner, L.  Is it safe to take magic mushrooms?

[11] Krietsch, B.  Mushroom Tea Helps Decrease Stress and Promote Focus.

[12] Schmidt, E. The Ultimate Guide to Mushroom Tea

[13] Psilocybin (Magic Mushrooms) (2021 November 10) Alcohol and Drug Foundation.

[14] Lowe, H., Toyang, N., Steele, B., Valentine, H., Grant, J., Ali, A., et al (2021). The Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)26(10): 2948.

[15] Lanesse, N. A Man Injected Magic Mushroom Tea into His Veins, and Fungus Grew Inside Him. Science Alert.

[16] Pallay, A. How Long Does it Take for Shrooms to Kick In?

[17] Tabackman, L. (2021 July 2) What to expect during a magic mushroom trip and how long shrooms stay in your system.

[18] Reddit User [u/BeeLearning] To eat or not to eat? Mushroom tea leftovers – what have you found?

[19] Priest, A.  Discover the Many Types of Psilocybin Magic Mushrooms. Veriheal.

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