Functional mushroom trend grows in Seattle
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Mushrooms are sprouting up all over the place: in coffee, soda, chocolate and meat blends.
Why it matters: Centuries after they were considered medicinal, mushrooms are today's go-to "functional" food — with a brain-boosting, sustainable aura.
State of play: "Mushrooms have such a health halo," says Chicago-based registered dietitian Janet Helm. Plus, they're versatile.
- "Particularly with Gen Z, if you put it in a beverage, they love it." That's largely because of sustainability and brain-boosting reasons.
- And mushrooms are a key ingredient for the emerging category of part-veggie, part-meat foods.
Between the lines: We're not talking about "magic" mushrooms.
- "Functional" mushrooms include lion's mane, chaga, reishi and cordyceps (something "The Last of Us" fans might be familiar with).
By the numbers: Sales of food and beverages with functional mushrooms are up over 450% in the U.S. since 2021, according to NielsenIQ.
- In Seattle, sales have more than tripled, rising from $1.6 million in the first half of 2021 to $6.1 million in the first half of this year, the market research company says.
The big picture: Mushroom coffee is one driver of that growth, after mushroom coffee company Four Sigmatic kicked off the trend about a decade ago.