Funghi
Red Reishi
S tier
Red reishi is the kitchen and tea-trade name for the crimson-varnished Ganoderma fruiting body—the form most people picture when they say reishi. Colour ranges blood-orange to deep mahogany; underside pores are pale. Bitterness dominates any infusion; sweetness is not the point. Buy whole dried caps or pre-sliced bags for stock pots. A small piece flavours a litre of water. Pair with jujube or liquorice in traditional tea blends to round the edge.
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Characteristics
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History
Red lingzhi was the prized colour form in classical reishi hierarchy.
Red reishi became the default cultivated commercial form worldwide.
Tea shops stocked red reishi slices as visible tonic ingredients.
Chef broths occasionally used red reishi as a bitter aromatic accent.