Lion's Mane Powder

A 100 g pouch of lion's mane powder made from the fruiting body only, with nothing added and nothing taken away. The brand lists it as organic certified and UK lab tested, and describes a gentle drying process. This is lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) in its plainest form: the mushroom, dried and milled, with no capsule, no extract ratio and no sweetener between you and it.

Powder is the most flexible format we stock. You decide how much to use and what to put it in, and because lion's mane has a mild, savoury taste it sits comfortably in food as well as drinks. It comes as a single pouch or in 2 and 3 pack deals.

What it is

Fruiting body powder is the mushroom itself, the white spined growth you would recognise on a log, dried and ground. That is different from mycelium powder, which is the root-like network grown on grain and ground up with the grain still in it. It is also different from an extract, which has been processed to concentrate certain components. This is neither: one ingredient, dried mushroom.

Fruiting body lion's mane powder is pale cream to light tan and smells faintly of mushroom. In the mouth it is mild and savoury, often described as slightly like seafood, which is why it works in eggs, soups and sauces rather than fighting them. It disperses in hot drinks, though it will not fully dissolve the way an instant coffee does; expect a little sediment at the bottom of the mug.

A heaped teaspoon is around 3 g and a level one around 2 g. The brand does not state a serving size, so those figures are ours, taken from the kitchen rather than the label. At a level teaspoon a 100 g pouch is about 50 servings.

This is a Herba Store UK own-label product. The brand's description of the drying as gentle is repeated as stated; no temperatures are given.

How to use it

Think of it as a mild stock powder. Stir a teaspoon into scrambled eggs before they set, whisk it into soups, sauces and stews, sprinkle it over roasted vegetables, or add it to muffin, pancake or bread batter. In drinks it goes into hot water, milk or a smoothie; stir well and stir again before the last mouthful. Powder is not heat sensitive in normal cooking, which is why the brand suggests baking with it.

• Single pack: 100 g, £19.99 (about 20p a gram)
• 2 pack: 2 x 100 g, £28.98 (£14.49 a pouch, the cheapest per pouch)
• 3 pack: 3 x 100 g, £49.99 (£16.66 a pouch)
• A level teaspoon is roughly 2 g, about 50 servings per pouch at around 40p each

Reseal the pouch after each use and keep it in a dry cupboard. Mushroom powder picks up moisture and clumps if left open; a clip or a jar solves it.

What's inside

• Lion's mane mushroom powder, 100% fruiting body
• One ingredient; nothing added
• Organic certified and UK lab tested, as stated by the brand
• Not an extract: this is dried, ground mushroom

Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) is a tooth fungus that grows on hardwood, carrying long white spines instead of gills. It is cultivated on sawdust blocks for food and supplements. The fruiting body is the part you would eat if it were fresh, and it is the only part in this pouch.

Who it's for

Cooks, and anyone who wants to set their own amount. The powder suits a morning routine built around breakfast (eggs are the classic use), a smoothie habit, or a kitchen where mushrooms already go into soups and sauces. It also suits people who want lion's mane without sugar, capsules or coffee, and who do not mind a little sediment in a drink.

If you want a measured amount with no thought, the capsules are 500 mg each and the gummies 250 mg. If you want lion's mane already in a drink, the coffees, cacao and hot chocolate on our shelf each carry a stated amount per serving.

Pairs well with

The lion's mane capsules are the measured format at 500 mg each. The lion's mane cacao is the ready-made drink with 20% lion's mane and no sugar, if you like the idea of a powder in a mug but want it blended for you. For a sweet, the lion's mane gummies carry 250 mg each. See every format on the lion's mane shelf, within the wider mushrooms department.

Frequently asked questions

What is lion's mane?

An edible mushroom, Hericium erinaceus, with white spines rather than gills. It is eaten fresh and sold dried as powder, extract, capsules, gummies and drinks. Our lion's mane guide covers it in full.

Is this an extract?

No. It is 100% fruiting body mushroom powder, dried and ground, with nothing else in the pouch.

How do I take lion's mane powder?

The brand does not state a serving. Its suggestions are a teaspoon in eggs or a measure blended into soups, sauces, baking or drinks. A level teaspoon is about 2 g.

What does it taste like?

Mild and savoury, slightly like seafood, which is why it suits eggs, soups and sauces rather than sweet dishes.

Read our lion's mane guide for what the mushroom is and how the formats differ, and our label guide for why fruiting body against mycelium matters. Herbastore ships this product from the UK, with free UK shipping on orders over £40. Orders are packed by Herbastore UK, so if you are buying from more than one of our brands everything arrives together.