1. Reishi is not eatable like as champignon for dishes but can be served as "Reishi tea" after decocting. The texture of Reishi is so hard just like as wood, so that it can be said as "woody mushroom". Too hard to slice down even with butcher's knife.

2. Reishi has a bitter taste which is a major component differentiating it from other mushrooms.

3. The medicinal effects of Reishi mainly come from the following ingredients,

a. A kind of polysacharides, β-1-3 glucan. This is also contained in other mushrooms such as Shiitake (Lentinus edodes), Maitake (or dancing mushroom, Grifola frondosa), etc.

b. A kind of fatty acid, Triterpene. Only in Reishi among mushrooms, this Triterpene is found, but so many Chinese herbs which presents a bitter taste contains this Triterpene.

4. This Triterpene is biosynthesized in the process of mycelia growing, ie, incubation and growing stage.  The degree of biosynthesis for Triterpene depends upon;

* Strain of Reishi

* A kind/quantity of carbohydrate in the culturing media.

* A kind/quantity of phenol compound in the wood log. Phenol, a chemical substance, is a kind of anti-bacteria substance. An invert soap, used in hospital as disinfectant is a typical phenol compound.

* A kind/quantity of minerals.

* Environmental conditions in the process of incubation & growing stage, such as temperature, supply of water, oxygen and sun ray, etc.