Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen ate hallucinogenic mushrooms during her recent visit to China, she announced Monday.
Yellen ate the mushrooms as part of a meal at popular Chinese restaurant chain Yi Zuo Yi Wang (In and Out). She said she was not aware at the time that the dish included psychedelic mushrooms, but it soon became clear.
"So I went with this large group of people and the person who had arranged our dinner did the ordering," Yellen told CNN. "There was this delicious mushroom dish. I was not aware that these mushrooms had hallucinogenic properties."
"I learned that later," she added.
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"I read that if the mushrooms are cooked properly, which I’m sure they were at this very good restaurant, that they have no impact," Yellen continued. "But all of us enjoyed the mushrooms, the restaurant, and none of us felt any ill effects from having eaten them."
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Yellen met with Chinese officials in Beijing in early July in an effort to stabilize economic ties through "candor" and "respect." She and her counterparts discussed "significant disagreements," but she nevertheless described her trip as a success at the time.
"There are challenges, but I believe there is a desire on both sides to stabilize the relationship and to constructively address problems that each of us see in our relationship, to do so frankly, with candor, with respect, and to build a productive relationship going forward," she said.
The mushrooms in question are known regionally as jian shou qing (see hand blue) mushrooms. In addition to their hallucinogenic properties, the mushrooms are known for turning a bluish color when touched by hand.
The mushrooms have been known to cause days-long hallucinations, but the effect varies from person to person. They are safe to eat when cooked properly.
Yellen returned from her trip to Beijing July 11, and she has played a major role in President Biden's economics plan, known as "Bidenomics."
