Okay, so that may not be an actual thing—but for wellness aficionados and nutrition neophytes alike, there’s nothing like the thrill of getting creative in the kitchen with a new ingredient. And with items like cacao now qualifying as pantry staples, we wanted to know: What’s the next wave of superfoods to get our blenders going? Sophie Jaffe knows. The Los Angeles–based certified raw food chef and founder of superfood blend brand Philosophie has had her finger on the pulse of nutrient-packed ingredients for more than a decade. You could call her a superfood savant. In her early 20s, when Jaffe worked as a juice barista, she started experimenting and “noticed how [different components] affected my body,” she recalls. When a medical condition disappeared 2 weeks after she started taking maca, Jaffe devoted herself to the superfood lifestyle. While she’d never ditch her acai or goji berries, the nutrition guru is just as enthralled by items like camu camu, mesquite, and ho shu wu (no, that’s not a typo). Keep reading to learn about the eight under-the-radar superfoods you should try—with Jaffe’s insights on what you can expect from each. Want to try it? Camu camu has a tart flavor due to its super high levels of vitamin C; you can blend up the powder with frozen banana, fresh berries, dark leafy greens, nut milk, and coconut butter for a heavenly sunrise smoothie! 2. Reishi This medicinal mushroom has been hailed by Asian cultures for thousands of years for its incredible wellness properties. The fungi’s polysaccharides are said to do everything from bolstering immune system function to promoting healthy cells and your longevity. Want to try it? Reishi, which has a bitter taste, has traditionally been taken in teas and extracts, but you can benefit from the mushroom by adding Philosophie Cacao Magic Superfood + Protein Blend (which, in addition to the mushroom, includes cacao, the superfood behind all things chocolate) to cookies, brownies, and oatmeal for a wholesome treat. Check out Well + Good for six more must-try superfoods (including a natural energizer and aphrodisiac)!
