Tempeh is a food made through a fermentation process using Rhizopus oligosporus fungus to myceliate soybeans. In about 36 - 48 hours, the soybeans are fully inoculated with the fungus forming a densely bound grain cake totally transformed into a superfood by fermentation. You can then slice, cook and eat.
The "Myceliated Grain" shortcut in Mushroom Supplements
The myceliation and fermentation processes of making tempeh makes nutrients in the soybeans or grains more bioavailable. The grain inoculation process in this food recipe is the exact same process that makers of mycelium on grain "mushroom capsules" use to cheaply and quickly get to market.
Instead of soybeans, they use rice, oats, or other grains. After a few days, they dry and grind the transformed myceliated grain cakes into a powder they market as mushrooms.
No one markets tempeh as servings of Rhizopus oligosporus mold. It's servings of fermented soybeans. While myceliated grain certainly provides novel compounds the same way tempeh does, at the end of the day it's more tempeh than what you expect from an actual mushroom.
The Illusion of Maturity In a Capsule
Many of these same "mushroom capsule" makers hide this shortcut and other facts by depicting a fully mature mushroom on their label while also not mentioning that most of the polysaccharides are Alpha-glucans from the grain substrate.
Most people who believe they are getting a dietary supplement made with the fully mature mushroom depicted on these brands' labels are actually being served the world's tiniest 500mg bite of tempeh.
If you want the compounds from fully mature mushrooms, you need an extract.
Why Real Mushrooms Require Extraction
Like tempeh, mushrooms need to be cooked to break down indigestible chitin-bound compounds. Mushroom cells are protected by thick walls made of chitin — the exact same tough material that makes up the shells of crabs and lobsters. Grinding them up doesn't help.
Unlike tempeh, liquid mushroom dual extracts have neither indigestible chitin nor grain substrate. Breaking down the chitin of fully mature mushrooms through dual extraction processes using hot water and alcohol unlocks secondary metabolites that mostly formed during the mushroom's maturation cycle.
The Gold Standard: 100% Fruiting Body Liquid Dual Extracts
For more than a decade, Half Hill Farm's liquid mushroom dual extracts have used only the fully mature, certified organic & wildcrafted mushrooms of the Turkey Tail, Red Reishi, Lion's Mane, Chaga, and Cordyceps. Our month long traditional extraction process is the same one used by ethnobotanists to formulate dietary supplements.
Half Hill Farm: Over a Decade of Mushroom Dual Extracts
- Lion's Mane Mushroom Dual Extract: supports healthy cognitive function.
- Turkey Tail Mushroom Dual Extract: Supports healthy immune system.
- Red Reishi Mushroom Dual Extract: Supports healthy aging.
- Chaga Mushroom Dual Extract: Supports healthy cell function.
- Cordyceps Mushroom Dual Extract: Supports healthy energy levels.
- Five Mushroom Dual Extract: A complete blend of all five mushrooms.
