Ashwagandha, rhodiola and reishi turn up on more and more shop shelves. Two are roots, one is a mushroom, and none of them is a kitchen staple yet. This guide covers what each one is, where it grows, how it tastes and how to prepare it as a tea or an alcohol extract at home.
None of the three is eaten like a vegetable. The roots and the mushroom are tough and bitter, so they are simmered in water or soaked in alcohol, and the liquid is what you use.
What Are Ashwagandha, Rhodiola and Reishi?
These three come from three unrelated families. Ashwagandha is a nightshade, like tomato and potato. Rhodiola is a stonecrop, a succulent. Reishi is a woody shelf fungus. What they share is the way they are prepared: dried, sliced or powdered, then extracted.
All three are sold dried. Ashwagandha and rhodiola come as chopped root or powder. Reishi comes as hard, glossy slices or powder. Kept dry in an airtight jar away from light, they last for many months.
What to look for when you buy them:
- The Latin name on the label: Withania somnifera, Rhodiola rosea, Ganoderma lucidum or Ganoderma lingzhi
- The part used: root for ashwagandha and rhodiola, the whole mushroom for reishi
- The country of origin and a best-before date
- Slices or chopped root if you want to make tea; powder if you want to stir it into food
Whole pieces are easier to strain than powder.
Where Each One Comes From
All three have long histories in the regions where they grow:
- Ashwagandha grows wild in dry parts of India, the Middle East and North Africa. Its Sanskrit name means "smell of the horse", after the scent of the fresh root.
- Rhodiola grows in cold mountains and the Arctic, from Scandinavia to Siberia and Alaska. Its English name, roseroot, comes from the rose smell of the cut root.
- Reishi grows on dead or dying hardwood trees in Asia, Europe and North America. In China it is called lingzhi and appears in paintings and carvings going back centuries.
Ashwagandha, Rhodiola and Reishi Up Close
Each one looks, smells and tastes different. Here is what to expect when you open the bag.
Ashwagandha: A small shrub in the nightshade family, with orange-red berries wrapped in a papery husk, like a tiny physalis. The pale root is the part that is used. It tastes bitter and earthy, and the fresh root smells faintly of horse, which gave it its name.
Rhodiola Rosea: A low succulent with fleshy blue-green leaves and yellow flower heads. The cut root smells of roses. Tea made from it tastes astringent and slightly floral.
Reishi Mushroom: A kidney-shaped shelf fungus with a glossy, red-brown cap that looks varnished. It is as hard as wood, so you cannot cook and eat it. Simmered for a long time, it gives a dark, very bitter brew.
Ashwagandha and rhodiola are bitter and earthy; reishi is the most bitter of the three. Honey, ginger, cinnamon or lemon make all three easier to drink.
How to Prepare Them at Home
You have two simple options: a simmered tea or an alcohol extract.
Small start: Try one plant at a time, so you learn its taste before you blend it with others.
Choose the Appropriate Form: Dried roots and mushrooms come as slices, chopped root and powder. Slices and chopped root are best for tea and extracts, because they strain cleanly. Powder stirs straight into smoothies or warm milk.
Simmer, do not steep: Roots and mushrooms are too tough for a quick steep. Simmer 1 tablespoon of dried ashwagandha or rhodiola root in 500 ml of water for 20 to 30 minutes. Reishi slices need longer: 1 to 2 hours on a low simmer, topped up with water as it reduces. Strain, then sweeten to taste.
Make an alcohol extract: Fill a clean jar one third full with dried, chopped root or reishi slices and cover with high-proof food-grade alcohol. Close it, keep it in a dark cupboard for 4 to 6 weeks, shake it every few days, then strain. The extract keeps at room temperature in a dark cupboard. Some ways to use them:
- Reishi tea with ginger and a spoon of honey
- Rhodiola tea with a slice of lemon
- Ashwagandha powder stirred into warm milk with cinnamon and cardamom
Label every jar with the plant, the date and the method, so you can repeat the ones you like.
Conclusion
Ashwagandha, rhodiola and reishi are three very different plants: a nightshade root, a rose-scented succulent root and a mushroom as hard as wood. All three are prepared the same way, by simmering in water or soaking in alcohol.
Start with one, learn its taste, and adjust with honey, ginger, lemon or spice. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or take medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist before using ashwagandha, rhodiola or reishi.
