Chai latte was a huge hit until news of its astronomical¹ sugar content emerged; turmeric latte was named the 'breakout star' in Google's Food Trends report of 2016; and we reached peak avocado with the hideous² 'avolatte'. But in the past 12 months a new trend has been brewing³, one that proves millennials' insatiable appetite for faddish⁴ food and drinks knows no bounds.

 

奶茶拿铁一度非常受欢迎，直到被曝光它含有超高糖分；姜黄拿铁被谷歌2016年食品趋势报告誉为“新星”；貌丑的“牛油果拿铁”体现出我们对牛油果的狂热。但在过去一年，一种新式咖啡逐渐崭露头角，这也体现出千禧一代对流行食品与饮品的追求永不停歇。
 

 

The latest concoction⁵ to delight and rile in equal measure is mushroom coffee. On supermarket shelves and in cafes, we're increasingly being exposed to the drink, which is purportedly⁶ an anti-inflammatory, and is supposed to regulate blood sugar levels and boost metabolism⁷. According to data collected by Hitwise, there has been a 471pc year-on-year spike⁸ in searches for "mushroom coffee", with the bulk from those aged⁹ 25 to 34.

 

A typical example doesn't feature commonly eaten mushrooms such as portobellos or chanterelles, but fungi¹⁰ like the chaga mushroom, a parasitic¹¹ fungus¹² from birch trees; reishi, used medicinally in traditional Chinese medicine; and cordyceps. All three have long been used in skincare, and now they're being made into coffee.

 

Mushroom coffee tends to be a blend of regular ground coffee mixed with a powdered fungus, which provides an earthy taste to the drink. To make it more palatable¹³, it's often sold with milk or a milk variant¹⁴ and a sweetener.

 

Studies on the health benefits of the fungi used in mushroom coffee are promising¹⁵. Chaga is thought to be rich in several vitamins, minerals and nutrients¹⁶, including Vitamin D, potassium and B-complex vitamins. According to studies at the University of Malaya in Malaysia, anti-inflammatory compounds in mushrooms could help combat dementia.

 

But to nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed, there is insufficient¹⁷ evidence that a cup of steaming hot mushroom coffee will give you anything beyond the regular benefits of coffee. "It's unlikely mushroom coffee will live up to all, if any, of the claims being made about it. If you enjoy it, enjoy a cup, but it's not a miracle food. There's very little research that it will have those effects, especially in a standard amount that an average person would consume."

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