One of my favorite pairings of local wild flavors is the complex minty aroma of black sage (Salvia mellifera) with the rich heaviness of cacao. Its been a crowd-pleaser in my black sage truffles from last year, but I wasn’t in the mood for a heavy chocolate dessert. Instead, I opted to infuse some freshly dried black sage into my daily mushroom tonic routine.

This could absolutely be modified depending on what species of sage you have available… even mint would be a refreshing and uplifting substitute. See below recipe for health benefits of black sage and turkey tail mushrooms.

Wild Black Sage + Mushroom Tonic Recipe

Ingredients:
Handful of dried black sage leaves
1 cup of milk (I used macadamia nut milk)
1 tablespoon of cacao powder (I really like to use my Mushroom Tonic here for added benefits)
1 teaspoon of concentrated Turkey Tail mushroom powdered extract
Sweetener of choice (my choice is a few drops of stevia extract)

Process:
Combine the sage leaves and milk into a pot and simmer on medium low for 5-10 minutes, not allowing it to come to a boil.
Strain the leaves from the milk and compost.
Combine warm infused milk with remaining ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Black Sage health benefits
Much like other mint family plants, black sage is rich in rosmarinic acid and flavonoids that are known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This plant is helpful for the respiratory tract during colds and flu, and can be a “savior” as its genus name Salvia implies, for sore throats when used as a gargle. Its close relative, garden sage, has been researched and found to enhance cognitive activity and protect against neurodegenerative disease.

Turkey Tail mushroom health benefits
This common forest mushroom that grows on dead and decaying trees has been studied the most studied fungi for its anti-cancer, anti-fungal and anti-viral (herpes, HIV, chronic fatigue syndrome) properties. Pharmacetuical extracts of the fungus known as PSP and PSK are used in cancer treatment and has shown efficacy against stomach, colorectal, lung, esophageal, nasopharyngeal, breast and cervical/uterine cancers. It is also used to help reduce the harmful effects of chemotherapy and boost the immune system with regular consumption.