This excellent tea was recommended to me by Jason Nemer (@jasonnemer), the co-creator of AcroYoga (interview here). Here’s the description from the now-closed QuantiTea website, where I originally procured the tea: “Duck Shit Fragrance (Ya Shi Xiang) tea received its distinctive name from the original farmer whose intention was to hide the success of the tea from fellow farmers. Tea plants can be cloned by taking clippings and nurtured to mature tea trees. Duck Shit Fragrance is a style of wulong (also written ‘oolong’) from the yashixiang cultivar (dancong 单枞) tea trees that grow in the Phoenix Mountains. Dancong is the general style of tea from the area and also means it’s from the same cultivar and garden.” Nom nom duck shit..

My girlfriend is currently following a low-FODMAP diet, which led us to this product as our default tomato sauce. Last night, I incorporated it into a ground Maui Nui venison stew (also excellent on top of spaghetti squash “pasta”), including a few dashes of ginger, cumin, paprika, and cinnamon. It turned out spectacularly. From the Rao description: “This sauce does not contain onions or garlic, while still keeping all the flavor of our slow-simmered Italian tomatoes.

What I’m putting on nearly everything — This stuff is magical and crafted right in my backyard of Austin.

Gadget I’m enjoying, a 2018 TIME magazine invention of the year. For some reason, I lose pot lids. I have a motley crew of cookware, and half of them are missing covers. Perhaps it was my move from CA to TX, or perhaps it’s simply the fact that lids are easily confused with one another and a pain to store. Imagine my glee when I found a single gadget that gets rid of the headache: a one-size-fits-nearly-all silicone pot cover. Just get a few of them, and you’re set. Or put another way, no need to buy another set. Your ragtag gang of mismatched metal can now be a functional family again.

Wine I’m dreaming of — This little devil was fantastic. It also clocks in at an affordable $11–20 USD. My friends and I had it in Punta Arenas, Chile, at La Marmita restaurant, which also punches above its weight class. The wine connoisseurs among you can find a detailed description here. Wine to Ship offers a number of Carmenere options from Errázuriz. For international options, try Wine-Searcher. I have not personally used those services, so your mileage may vary, but I did enjoy this juice.

What I’m sipping on cheat day. From the description: “Barr Hill Gin is distilled once in our custom-built, botanical extraction still with hand-crushed, organic juniper and then finished with raw honey from our region. The raw honey contributes botanical depth from the countless wildflowers foraged by the bees. How do we extract such complexity from simple raw materials? Our secrets are kept in the hive.”

Available in chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, and now peanut butter chocolate chip. These keto- and Paleo-friendly cookie bites are fantastic. I’ve been using them as a no-cheat treat when cravings hit. With only 150 calories, 3g of net carbs, and 1g of sugar per serving, they’re one of my favorite new snacks. This is the second product I’ve loved from SuperFat, the first being their squeezable nut butters. Just be careful... it’s VERY easy to eat an entire bag of these cookies in one sitting. Here’s an exclusive offer for “5-Bullet Friday” subscribers >>> save 15% off your order at SuperFat.com by using the code TIMFERRISS at checkout. You can also find SuperFat on Amazon.

Kettle & Fire makes incredibly delicious, convenient, and nutritious bone broth. I have a huge collection of their broths on my kitchen counter for easy access. I’ve been a fan ever since 2015, when podcast guest and ketogenesis expert Dr. Dominic D’Agostino introduced me to the company. Their products fit me and my lifestyle well: bone broth is a great ‘one-stop shop’ for low-carb, high-protein nutrition. Kettle & Fire is committed to sourcing ingredients in the most ethical and sustainable ways possible, which includes using grass-fed and grass-finished bones. Bone broth is one of the ‘non-decisions’ I make each day. I don’t need to think about it. I know it makes me feel good, and it’s easy to incorporate into my daily routine as a default. For a limited time, subscribers to “5-Bullet Friday” can get a very special offer: you can save 30% off your entire order by using coupon code TIM30 at checkout! Enjoy!

Treat I’m enjoying. I found this via Cocoa Runners, a beautiful and delicious service introduced to me by Reid Hoffman (@reidhoffman). Thank you, Reid!

Device 'm using daily –I bought this in Austin at YETI’s flagship store, and it travels with me everywhere. For the last few months, I’ve used it every morning to keep my tea hot (typically chaga or pu-erh tea, plus unsweetened Laird Superfood Creamer) and every afternoon to keep my iced tea cool. I don’t have to worry about condensation or water puddles on my table, and in my experience, it keeps things hot or cold for HOURS. The MagSlider™ magnetic closing mechanism is a much bigger deal than you’ll realize initially, especially for cleaning. They are available with custom designs, and mine features a Texas rattlesnake. Here’s the official description: “Any tumbler that’s coming along for the ride needs to be tough enough to keep up. Our Rambler® 20 oz. is made from durable stainless steel with double-wall vacuum insulation to protect your hot or cold beverage at all costs. Like the entire Rambler Family, the 20 oz. Tumbler and its lid are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning…. Available in Stainless, Duracoat™ colors and Seasonal finishes. Layered with an advanced, oleophobic coating (which is science for: it’s fingerprint-proof), tested to the highest level of UV resistance, and equally as dishwasher safe, durable, and insulated as its predecessors.”

Description: “The zest of habanero pepper and the zing of lemon combine to create a crisp, lively tasting pistachio. Our Chile Lemon is mild enough, yet wild enough. All organic.” Thanks to JZ from The 4-Hour Chef for this amazing recommendation. Be forewarned that you will eat these quickly.

Ruby unsweetened hibiscus water. 0g of sugar and 0 calories. Sometimes you just want a different flavor around, ya know? Thanks to Noah for the recommendation

The preceding link only delivers in South Africa. For the USA, try Interdependence Natural Foods or Stellenberg Imports, which offers a 9-bottle case. This vinegar was gifted to me by Zach Williams, an alpine ski racer and Paralympic hopeful. I’ve been drizzling it on practically everything, including salads and thinly sliced elk with some oil, salt, and pepper. Here is the official description: “Carefully selected Fynbos herbs reflect the rich biodiversity of the Cape Floral Kingdom. Balsamic vinegar infused with buchu, honeybush tea, rose geranium, wild olive, and wild rosemary.”

If you love chocolate, this bar is incredible. Warm hugs and smooches to Darya Rose (@daryarose) and Kevin Rose (@kevinrose) for the gift. For those curious, the brand name “Qantu” derives from the Quechua language and is pronounced ‘kantu.’ It is a “symbol of unity and hospitality… it is [also] the name of the national flower of Peru and Bolivia [technically Cantua buxifolia, commonly called flor del Inca, or ‘flower of the Inca’].”

Food I’m enjoying for both ease and taste — In February, I stocked up on large quantities of food for COVID lockdown. Some of the items ended up being puke-worthy, many were passable, and a handful stood out with a gut response of “I would definitely continue eating this during ‘normal’ times….” Maya Kaimal’s precooked dal lands squarely in the last category.

What I’m eating when the snack monster visits — Hu started as a Paleo-inspired restaurant in NYC and quickly developed a cult following for their unique creations, including award-winning Paleo/vegan dark chocolate. I’ve been eating their new crackers as a post-workout (or post-booze, if I’m being honest) treat. They are Paleo, plant based, gluten free, and have no added oils, sugars, or refined starches. Just as important to me, they taste amazing. A note of warning: it’s easy to polish off an entire box in one sitting, as I just did with the pizza flavor, which is my favorite. I liked Hu’s products so much that I became an advisor, something I very rarely do these days.

What I’m installing a second time — Check out this photo to see what it looks like installed in my kitchen. As I said in the caption: “Some of the most useful things in my house are the simplest. Example: this Enclume 36" rolled end bar from Amazon. This is the second time I’ve installed one, and it immediately cleared two drawers. Tip: arrange the pans from smallest to biggest to make finding what you need faster.” The keen eye may notice that they don’t seem perfectly ordered by size in my pic. That’s because I first order by material (e.g., cast iron) and then order by size within each material. Yes, I’m a nerd making the most of OCD.

This was gifted to me by my friend Brad L. He is a die-hard coffee nerd and swore it was the best cup of coffee you could have without a professional barista. Just feed it whole beans, and it handles the rest. This attractive machine also imbues the coffee with a creamy texture that is hard to describe.

I hate few things, but I HATE cleaning pots and pans with eggs stuck to them. I also dislike wasting tons of water when boiling eggs. This device makes perfect eggs (I prefer soft- or medium-boiled) in a handful of minutes with just a few tablespoons of water.

Cheat day goodies I’m savoring. Be forewarned that you may eat an entire box in one sitting. Description: “Annas Ginger is the classic Swedish ginger thin that has spread happiness for generations. It’s the perfect choice for parties and traditional festivities or as an enjoyable treat anytime.” Goes very well with… ahem… coffee and a splash of cream.

Lazy breakfast I’m revisiting — This chili (plus 1–2 soft-boiled eggs) has returned as my default low-labor breakfast. I eat it straight out of the can because I’m still feral.

Four Sigmatic Reishi

Thanks for introducing me to these, Mikey! Description: “Organic rosemary, sage, and sea salt give these cashews a rich, umami flavor. We start with raw cashews from triple-certified organic farms in Vietnam and SMETA Ethical Trade Audit-certified facilities. These world-class cashews are preservative-free, pesticide-free, vegan, gluten-free, and Paleo diet approved. We spark their germination with pure water to unlock nutrients. Then gently dehydrate them to preserve all that vital goodness and give them a superior crunch.”

You don’t know it yet, but JuneShine’s going to be your new go-to happy-hour drink. Consistent with their tagline, “organic hard kombucha for a brighter buzz,” I do get a nice buzz, as it sports a hefty 6% ABV (alcohol by volume), but 1–2 drinks doesn’t punish me with a nasty hangover. I enjoy grabbing a can of JuneShine in the late afternoon after a workday or when hanging with friends on the weekend. You’ve also heard me drinking JuneShine in a few Random Show episodes with Kevin Rose. Grapefruit Paloma might be my personal favorite flavor, but I usually grab a Sampler Pack and rotate. ​ ​JuneShine is made with organic ingredients, and it is naturally gluten-free. The company is carbon-neutral, their brewery runs on renewable energy, and they donate one percent of sales to environmental nonprofits. As a 5-Bullet Friday subscriber, you can get an exclusive discount: receive 20% off your first purchase, plus free shipping on any orders over $75. Simply use code TIM at checkout. Taste what all the buzz is about and grab a Sampler Pack here: JuneShine.com/Tim.

Treats I’m enjoying and gifting for V Day — this includes eight of Hu’s bestselling dark chocolate bars or “a full library of chocolate,” as one friend puts it. The nut butter bars (four of the eight) are easily my favorite chocolate bars on the planet. I could watch Talladega Nights and eat an entire box by myself… and perhaps I already have. On top of that, Hu has agreed to give 25% of the proceeds of any sales from the links in this bullet to my mental-health-focused nonprofit foundation, so it’s win-win-win-win for me, my girlfriend, Ricky Bobby, and the millions who suffer from conditions like PTSD, treatment-resistant depression, OCD, and more.

The Gen 2 Ode makes me think of the legendary Dieter Rams and his “10 principles for good design.” It’s one of the few devices that I absolutely love using every morning. The elegance—in aesthetics, function, and space efficiency—really tickles my OCD. All that said, please be forewarned that this beauty is very expensive. If you’re looking for a more economical option that still does the job, I also have this burr grinder in Austin. If you want a portable hand grinder, you might try this. All of these devices combine well with today’s P.S.

COCKPUNCH Coffee is back! This sold out nearly immediately last time, so we did another run and made things a whole lot sexier. The FTZ House Blend is available for a round two (1,234 bags in total this time)! Last time, we limited orders to two bags per customer, but there is no limit on this run. Here is the official description from the website below: “This medium-roast coffee is bright and expressive, like a Southern Jaquan after three shots of espresso. It sports a juicy body with lasting sweetness, reminiscent of summer flings and butterfly wings. Flavor notes sing of lime, orange blossom honey, and vanilla. For if not to sing, WTF are we doing here?” Grab your bag or bags at Cockpunch.com/coffee.

Cheat day snack that I’m enjoying. A delicious one-liner from the website: “A little salty, a little sweet, and decadently wild, this espresso bite is made with 100% Maui coffee and sprinkled with mineral-rich sea salt from Molokai.” Thanks to Jake Muise for bringing these goodies to Austin! Outside of cheat day, a single square right before podcast recording also gives me just the right cognitive boost without any jitters.

Public Goods is the one-stop shop for sustainable, high-quality, everyday essentials made from clean ingredients at an affordable price. They have a wide selection—from pet food to shampoo and toilet paper to noodles, they have it all. If you’re looking for a place to start, my team has raved about the bamboo toothbrushes and ramen noodles, and one of my personal favorites is the black currant candle. Public Goods is your new everything store. They search the globe to find clean, healthy, eco-friendly, and innovative products like sulfate-free shampoo and tree-free paper towels. Rather than getting what you need from a slew of single-product brands, you can buy all of your premium essentials in one place and with one beautiful, streamlined aesthetic at Public Goods. Visit PublicGoods.com/Tim to receive $20 off products in your first Public Goods order using code TIM, with no minimum purchase required!

This smart mug keeps drinks at desired temperature. Tim uses it to enjoy hot beverages. He recommends the brand Ember.

My two favorite products are their Turmeric Superfood Creamer and Unsweetened Superfood Creamer. I put one of them in practically everything. Both can really optimize your daily coffee or tea ritual, and a $10 bag will last you a long time. For a limited time, Laird Superfood is offering you guys 20% off your order when you use code TIM20 at checkout. Check out LairdSuperfood.com/Tim to see my favorite products and learn more.

I open one can upon waking, drizzle about half the oil over my dog’s kibble (which she sometimes refuses to eat dry), and then consume the fish myself. My skin and her coat have never looked better. Hat tip to the incredible biochemistry beast Dom D’Agostino, PhD for intro’ing me to these beauties.

I love macadamia nuts and have been enjoying them often since keto expert Dr. Dominic D’Agostino recommended them on the podcast in 2015. They taste great, and with more healthy, monounsaturated fat than both olive oil and avocados, 27% fewer carbs than almonds, and more than 50% fewer carbs than cashews, they’re the perfect low-carb, keto-friendly, nutty snack. Their white-chocolate-covered macadamias can keep me going through the afternoon until dinner, but be forewarned: ​House of Macadamias produces the best-tasting macadamia nuts I’ve ever eaten—you could end up polishing off several bags at a time if you’re not careful.

This is an incredible and affordable beauty. As I wrote in The 4-Hour Chef in 2012: “This is now, bar none, my favorite brewing method. Remember the Aerobie, the amazing UFO-like disc that you could throw farther than a football field, 20 times farther than a standard Frisbee? Alan Adler, a mechanical engineer and Stanford University lecturer, created it. After conquering the 1980s toy market, he began to obsess over coffee. The result was the AeroPress, which debuted in 2006. Quickly adopted by the specialty coffee community, it offers a simple way to prepare a small amount of excellent coffee, and it’s great for travel. Armed with an AeroPress and a tiny manual hand grinder like the Hario MSS-1B Mini Mill [or the more recently recommended Comandante], you can even make world-class coffee on an airplane meal tray! No mess and no fuss.” If you want to use a beefier and automated burr grinder at home, I now use the Baratza Encore.

I’m a wine drinker, and I love a few glasses over meals with friends. That said, I hate hangovers. For the last few months, all of the wine in my house has been from Dry Farm Wines. Why? At least in my experience, their wine means more fun with fewer headaches. Dry Farm Wines only ships wines that meet very stringent criteria: sugar free (less than 0.15g per glass), lower alcohol (less than 12.5% alcohol), additive free (there are more than 70 FDA-approved wine-making additives), lower sulfites, organic, and produced by small family farms. All Dry Farm Wines are laboratory tested for purity standards by a certified, independent enologist, and all of their wines are also backed by a 100% Happiness Promise—they will either replace or refund any wine you do not love. Last but not least, I find delicious wines I never would have found otherwise. It’s a lot of fun.

I first learned about Pique through my friends Dr. Peter Attia and Kevin Rose, and now Pique’s fermented pu’er tea crystals have become my daily go-to. I often kickstart my mornings with their Pu’er Green Tea and Pu’er Black Tea, and I alternate between the two. This rare type of naturally fermented tea is more concentrated in polyphenol antioxidants than any other tea—it supports focus and mental clarity, healthy digestion, metabolism and a healthy immune system. Their crystals are cold extracted, using only wild-harvested leaves from 250-year-old tea trees. Plus, they triple toxin screen for heavy metals, pesticides, and toxic mold—contaminants commonly found in tea. I also use the crystals for iced tea, which saves a ton of time and hassle.

I’ve been eating Maui Nui Venison for the past two years, and there’s no going back. My pantry and freezers are full of it, and I restock every month. Why? (1) If I combine Maui Nui Venison with even a little exercise, I drop body fat unbelievably quickly. (2) It tastes delicious and isn’t gamey. (3) Ethically, I feel great about Maui Nui protein, as axis deer are an invasive species on Maui, where their population needs to be managed in order to protect vulnerable ecosystems. Harvested using stress-free methods, Maui Nui’s fresh venison is clean-tasting, tender, and one of the most nutrient-dense meats on the planet. Maui Nui is a nearly daily go-to for me, both as a supplement to my daily diet (with broth, jerky snacks, etc.) and through main courses (via their fresh-meat subscription program). I fell in love with this company so much that I ended up investing, which is a rarity.

You’ve heard me talk about these guys for years. I love their mushroom coffee with lion’s mane. It’s delicious, I recommend it, I gift it to my employees, and I give it to my houseguests. It’s my solution when I need to recharge but want to avoid the jitters I sometimes get from regular coffee. Their Reishi Elixir has also been a game changer for sleep.

Magic Spoon is a low carb, high protein, and zero sugar cereal that tastes just like your favorite sugary cereal. Each serving has 13–14g of protein, 4g of net carbs, and 0g of sugar. It’s also gluten free, grain free, soy free, and keto friendly. And it’s delicious! It comes in your favorite, traditional cereal flavors like Cocoa, Frosted, Peanut Butter, and Blueberry. Magic Spoon cereal has received a lot of attention since their launch. Time magazine included it in their list of Best Inventions of 2019, and Forbes called it “the future of cereal.”

ButcherBox is my go-to trusted source for high-quality meats and proteins (outside of venison). They deliver 100% grass-fed, grass-finished beef; free-range organic chicken; humanely raised pork; and wild-caught seafood directly to your doorstep at the frequency you choose. I love cooking with friends and family, and ButcherBox makes it easier to co-create delicious meals, whether a light fish dish or the best ribs you’ve ever had. ButcherBox also cares deeply about animal welfare, supporting the livelihood of farmers, and treating ecosystems with respect. They’re B Corp™ certified, which means they prioritize meeting the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

This episode is brought to you by Cometeer! Cometeer is hyper-fresh, expertly brewed, flash-frozen coffee that produces an incredibly delicious cup. Cometeer lets you prepare your coffee with no mess, no machines, no burning, and no bitterness. Cometeer sources high-quality beans from the country’s top roasters. The coffee is brewed using proprietary technology to pull out more flavor compounds and antioxidants. It’s then flash-frozen at minus 321 degrees Fahrenheit to lock in that incredible flavor and freshness of the specialty brew. Simply add hot water and you’ve got a game-changing cup of coffee. It’s easily customizable in seconds for iced coffees, lattes, espresso martinis, and more. Order today at Cometeer.com/Tim. Listeners of this podcast will also receive a FREE 8-pack of Barista’s Choice, a rotating selection of limited-edition specialty roasts from world-class roaster partners like George Howell, Onyx, and Intelligentsia—names many of you will recognize.

Going up quite a few notches in fancy, the Jura ENA 4 was gifted to me by my friend Brad L. He is a die-hard coffee nerd and swore it was the best cup of coffee you could have without a professional barista. Just feed it whole beans, and it handles the rest. This attractive machine also imbues the coffee with a creamy texture that is hard to describe. There are multiple models to choose from with different features.

These days, I’m doing endurance training in the morning for 3–4 hours, and I like quick turnaround meals. For protein, I’m alternating between these ready-to-eat salmon filets and three sticks of Maui Nui wild-harvested venison.

I’ve been eating Maui Nui Venison for the past three years, and there’s no going back. During SXSW, I ate their sugar-free venison sticks every day as my on-the-go protein. My pantry and freezers are full of Maui Nui Venison, and I restock every month. Why? (1) If I combine it with even a little exercise, I drop body fat unbelievably quickly. (2) It tastes delicious and isn’t gamey at all. (3) Ethically, I feel great about Maui Nui protein, as axis deer are an invasive species on Maui, where their population needs to be managed in order to protect vulnerable ecosystems. The damage from overpopulation looks like wildfire damage and even disrupts coral systems with runoff. Harvested using stress-free methods, Maui Nui’s fresh venison is clean-tasting, tender, and one of the most nutrient-dense meats on the planet. A recent analysis concluded that Maui Nui venison contained twice the antioxidants, 8x the healthy fats, and 53% more protein per calorie vs. grass-fed beef. Maui Nui is a near daily go-to for me, both as a supplement to my daily diet (with broth, jerky snacks, etc.) and through main courses (via their fresh-meat subscription program). I fell in love with this company so much that I ended up investing, which is rare.

I first had LALO at Suerte in Austin, Texas, at the strong recommendation of the waiter. This was several years ago, and it was a new staff favorite. I was having a long overdue dinner with the lovely Chase Jarvis and his even lovelier wife, and we ended up drinking and talking for hours upon hours. I assumed my next day would be a total write-off, as would usually be the case with that much booze. I was shocked to wake up with no hangover, and LALO has been my go-to tequila ever since. The morning after this week’s Random Show with Kevin Rose, he texted me with “Dude, I literally have zero hangover from that tequila. That is amazing!” Of course, your mileage may vary, and I drink it on the rocks with soda and lime or as a fresh-squeezed paloma, but it still surprises me every time. ​ LALO is a rare additive-free tequila, and the maestro tequilero behind it, instead of harvesting immature plants and relying on barrels or added sugars, patiently waits for the plants to reach full maturity, which naturally creates their signature clean flavor profile. Lalo, one of the three co-founders and the aforementioned tequilero, is the grandson of Don Julio González of “Don Julio” fame. LALO is also one of the few Mexican majority-owned tequila brands found in the US. ​ Perhaps 18 months ago, a good friend reached out with “I know you’ve mentioned LALO tequila before. Would you have any interest in investing in them?” It turned out that the CEO of LALO had officiated his wedding! Small world. And that is how LALO became my one and only investment in spirits. It’s beautiful when things come together like that.

I can easily finish an entire bag of these chewy beauties on cheat day. They are gluten-free, which I only learned after the fact. Tate’s Chocolate Chip Cookies are also fantastic, but the Ginger Zingers are my hands-down fave. In between butter cookies and gingerbread men, I’ll have a few of these around Christmas to convince myself I’m behaving.

From the description: “The best-tasting grind always comes from a mix of muscles from the entire animal. Our ground venison includes trim from neck to leg, loin to belly, and everything in between, ensuring a richness and depth of flavor like no other. With knowledge gained from our recent nutrient analysis, we have made a more balanced 5% organ blend, containing 3.5% liver and 1.5% heart. Since the liver and heart of our venison contain superior nutrient density, this blend offers the benefits of organ meat with an improved flavor profile.” I also suggest using this tool from Maui Nui: Venison Nutrition Comparison Tool.