In Europe, we've been drinking coffee in various guises¹ since at least the 15th century; the first coffee shop in Britain popped up in 1650 in Oxford². For centuries, we were content with the simple coffee beans, hot water, sugar and milk combination, but the past few years have seen a proliferation of novelty brews³.

在欧洲，我们喝咖啡的历史可以追溯到至少15世纪，而且种类繁多。英国第一家咖啡店1650年在牛津开张。几个世纪以来，我们一直满足于咖啡豆、热水、糖和牛奶一起做成的简式咖啡。但在过去几年，咖啡种类一直花样翻新。

Chai latte was a huge hit until news of its astronomical⁴ sugar content emerged; turmeric latte was named the 'breakout star' in Google's Food Trends report of 2016; and we reached peak avocado with the hideous⁵ 'avolatte'. But in the past 12 months a new trend has been brewing⁶, one that proves millennials' insatiable appetite for faddish⁷ food and drinks knows no bounds.

奶茶拿铁一度非常受欢迎，直到被曝光它含有超高糖分；姜黄拿铁被谷歌2016年食品趋势报告誉为“新星”；貌丑的“牛油果拿铁”体现出我们对牛油果的狂热。但在过去一年，一种新式咖啡逐渐崭露头角，这也体现出千禧一代对流行食品与饮品的追求永不停歇。

The latest concoction⁸ to delight and rile in equal measure is mushroom coffee. On supermarket shelves and in cafes, we're increasingly being exposed to the drink, which is purportedly⁹ an anti-inflammatory, and is supposed to regulate blood sugar levels and boost metabolism¹⁰. According to data collected by Hitwise, there has been a 471pc year-on-year spike¹¹ in searches for "mushroom coffee", with the bulk¹² from those aged 25 to 34.

这种新式咖啡就是蘑菇咖啡，一些人很喜欢喝，但也有差不多同样比例的人很讨厌这种味道。蘑菇咖啡在超市货架和咖啡店越来越常见，据说这种咖啡可以抗炎、调节血糖水平并促进新陈代谢。根据Hitwise公司收集的数据，“蘑菇咖啡”的年均搜索量上涨了471%，其中大多来自25岁到34岁的人群。

A typical example doesn't feature commonly eaten mushrooms such as portobellos or chanterelles, but fungi¹³ like the chaga mushroom, a parasitic¹⁴ fungus¹⁵ from birch trees; reishi, used medicinally in traditional Chinese medicine; and cordyceps. All three have long been used in skincare, and now they're being made into coffee.

典型的蘑菇咖啡中并不含有大褐菇和鸡油菇等我们常吃的蘑菇，而是含有桦树菇（寄生在桦树上的蘑菇）、灵芝（中药药材）和虫草等。这三种菌类一直被人们用在护肤品中，现在它们也被加进了咖啡里。

Mushroom coffee tends to be a blend of regular ground coffee mixed with a powdered fungus, which provides an earthy taste to the drink. To make it more palatable¹⁶, it's often sold with milk or a milk variant¹⁷ and a sweetener.

蘑菇咖啡一般是添加了普通咖啡粉和菌类粉的混合饮品，有泥土味。为使之更可口，通常加入牛奶、奶制品和甜味剂后出售。

Studies on the health benefits of the fungi used in mushroom coffee are promising¹⁸. Chaga is thought to be rich in several vitamins, minerals and nutrients¹⁹, including Vitamin D, potassium and B-complex vitamins. According to studies at the University of Malaya in Malaysia, anti-inflammatory compounds in mushrooms could help combat dementia.

研究显示，蘑菇咖啡中所含有的菌类对人们的健康有益。桦树菇富含多种维生素、矿物质和营养成分，包括维生素D、钾和B族维生素。马来西亚大学的研究发现，蘑菇中含有抗炎成分，可以帮助对抗痴呆。

But to nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed, there is insufficient²⁰ evidence that a cup of steaming hot mushroom coffee will give you anything beyond the regular benefits of coffee. "It's unlikely mushroom coffee will live up to all, if any, of the claims being made about it. If you enjoy it, enjoy a cup, but it's not a miracle food. There's very little research that it will have those effects, especially in a standard amount that an average person would consume."

但对营养学家夏洛特-斯特灵-里德来说，除了咖啡的常见益处，没有足够的证据表明一杯温热的蘑菇咖啡能提供给你更多。“蘑菇咖啡能有人们所追捧的那么多好处，这是不可能的。如果你爱喝就来一杯，但这并非神奇食物。关于其健康益处的研究非常少，特别是在摄入平均饮用量的情况下。”