As some old-ass British guy once said, where there’s tea, there’s hope. But where there’s shroom tea, there’s a silly/weird/fun time, which sounds a whole lot cooler to me. If you don’t know how to prep your own delectable psychoactive brew, it’s actually pretty easy. I recruited a few experts to show you how, so grab some shrooms and your favorite mug, because it’s tea time somewhere (pinkies out, of course).
How to Make Shroom Tea: The Benefits
Making shroom tea is one of the best ways to take shrooms, since it’s easier on your stomach and taste buds. It can also make the effects of psilocybin come on quicker, because it’s easier to digest in tea form. If you’re concerned about nausea, simply strain out any floating mushroom pieces after steeping — it might be a weaker tea, but your stomach will thank you.
How to Make Shroom Tea: The Process
It’s just like making regular tea, but if you’re nervous, here’s how Nicholas Levich, co-founder of Psychedelic Passage, makes shroom tea for himself.
Gather the Ingredients: “The only ingredients you’ll need are dried mushrooms, your favorite tea and some water,” Levich says. The dose can be the same as if you were straight-up munching: One gram of dried material is considered to be a light dose, whereas a “trip dose” is about three grams. I recommend relying on a gram scale lest you end up with a weak refreshment or a supersonic beverage that will catapult you into Nightmare Land.
Grind the Shrooms: Or you could purchase pre-powdered caps, but a coffee grinder, knife, scissors, weed grinder or your trusty hands should do. “The goal here is to break down the mushroom into small enough pieces that you can swallow them as you drink your tea,” Levich explains.
Pick a Mug: And drop your crumbled shrooms into it.
Boil Some Water: And think about what to watch on shrooms while you wait.
Steep the Shrooms (and Tea): “I like to let the water cool slightly before pouring the water into the mug, and then I add the tea bag,” says Levich. “Let the tea and mushrooms steep for five to 10 minutes.”
Add Some Other Tasty Bits: Honey, lemon and spices are all good bets.
Drink and Have a Good Time: “I recommend stirring the liquid before drinking, as all of the mushroom bits will sink to the bottom,” Levich advises.
How to Make Shroom Tea: An Upgrade
If regular old mushroom tea isn’t cutting it, you can boost the potency of your mushies by soaking them in lemon juice for 15 to 20 minutes beforehand. “This is called ‘lemon tek’ and makes the mushroom high more intense, eliminates nausea and makes the trip last about 30 minutes to an hour less,” explain Grace and PJ, trip sitters at Akasa Journeys.
The theory here, according to the deliberately anonymous founder of Tripsitters.org, is that the citric acid in lemon imitates the acids in your stomach, breaking down the psilocybin into psilocin, the compound responsible for making you feel all giggly. In other words, the lemon does the hard part for you, allowing your body to absorb all that tasty hallucination juice without it having to do much work. You also won’t have to wait as long to feel the effects.
Nothing like a warm cup of tea and disassembling your ego in the morning, am I right?
Ian Lecklitner
Ian Lecklitner is a staff writer at MEL Magazine. He mostly writes about everyone's favorite things: Sex, drugs and food.
