Reishi

Ganoderma lingzhi · Fungus

40 pairings

Reishi (lingzhi) is the woody, kidney- to fan-shaped fruiting body of the bracket fungus Ganoderma lingzhi and its close relatives — a tough, inedibly hard polypore prized for more than two millennia in East Asian medicine and brewed as a bitter tea or decoction rather than eaten as food.

Picking a good onedrag

Board-hard, dark, dry-smellingDamp, musty, bored through

Shop dryThe article you actually buy. Hard dry slices for a long decoction or tea: the traditional form is the simmered liquor, not spoonfuls of milled powder.Everyday best

Cut faceFlesh buff to fawn, rind edge a little dulled

The snapHard, snaps with a bit of effort behind it

Lacquered crustSheen dulled, colour even and dark

SmellWoody and quiet, little more than warm dust

What to look for, from board-hard, dark, dry-smelling to damp, musty, bored through.

Preparing