Ingredients:

• One cup of water

• One California bay laurel leaf

• Two curls of orange peel (fresh or dried)

• One turkey tail mushroom (optional)

• One teaspoon or bag of oolong tea

• 3 tablespoons of nonfat milk powder

• One teaspoon of honey

• Ten grams of 100% chocolate (about one tablespoon chopped)

Instructions:

1. Heat the water with the bay leaf, orange peel, and mushroom. Once it starts boiling, let it continue for about ten minutes.

2. Remove from heat, let it cool for a minute, then add the dried tea leaves. Steep the tea for about five minutes.

3. Strain the liquid, then put it back on the heat, turned down low.

4. Add milk powder, honey, and chocolate. Whisk continuously until the chocolate is fully melted and emulsified.

Notes:

The flavor is a combination of bright citrus from the orange and bay laurel; earth from the mushroom and oolong; and cozy decadence from the honey, chocolate, and milk.

The turkey tail mushroom has a very subtle flavor, so it mostly contributes to the drink’s medicinal profile. You can certainly leave it out—or, if you want a pronounced mushroomy flavor and even more antioxidants, just add a few more mushrooms.

To avoid animal products, you could omit the milk powder, swap the honey for sugar, use less water, and add heated nut milk at the end.

To avoid sugar and fat, omit the honey and use either unsweetened cocoa powder or steeped cacao husks and nibs.

I’ve not tried this with a Turkish bay leaf (Laurus nobilis, the kind you’ll find at a grocery store). I expect that would turn out more savory, but if you don’t have access to California bay, it seems worth a shot!