Have you heard of Chaga? This mushroom has been used as a medicine for centuries dating back as far as 4600 years. It is best known for its cancer fighting properties, however it is also a very powerful strengthener of the immune system. It is known as an adaptogen, which means that it adapts to the individual needs of the body. It is completely safe to consume and is post popularly take as a tea or tincture. Many who use it also grind it down into a powder and use it for cooking. I will include some recipes below.
Chaga contains some of the richest polysccharides, known as beta glucans. Chaga is known to have 29 types of beta glucans. These are water-soluble compounds making them easy to extract through a tea. They have been known to aid in chemo and radiation treatments and to lessen the damage caused to the body through these treatments, inhibiting tumor growth. Beta glucans have the ability to trap free radicals in the body allowing for the removal of these radicals to take place. They also provide therapeutic support to the kidney as well as the liver, as well as encourages the body's ability to replenish blood cells after marrow transplants or damage from cancer treatments. Betulnic acid is another compound found in Chaga. This compound assists in protecting the liver, and detoxifies the chemicals of chemotherapy and resists radiation damage. Melanins, which humans have in their bodies and is what causes the pigment of our skin, eyes, and hair, also plays and important role. It is thought to bind radioactive isotopes, making them less or even non-toxic, allowing for easier detoxification of the body. Phytonutrients in Chaga are known to inhibit the nuclear factor kappa B, the compound that causes healthy cells in the body to mutate and self-destruct. Chaga contains the highest amount of antioxidants of any species found so far. These antioxidants help to restore damage to tissue caused by harsh cancer treatments.
Chaga is a poly-pore, unlike most mushrooms, which have gills, this mushroom has thousands of pores(kind of like your skin!) that it uses to breathe. It starts inside the tree under the the bark, it grows and eventually bursts through, a blackened "sclerotium" or "conk" emerges. Most mushrooms you encounter, the surfacing body is the reproductive organs of the specimen. This is not the case here. Because of the long life-span of the Chaga mushroom, it doesn't produce fruiting bodies until its host tree dies. Brown crescent shaped bodies sprout at the base of the tree. You would not harvest these, moreover, you would not harvest from a dead tree.
The hard exterior of the Chaga mushroom its brownish-black and looks like charcoal. It is a very dense fungus with a yellowy-orange interior. Generally you cant just pick a piece of the mushroom off, using a hatchet makes knocking the conk off a great deal easier. A chisel may also be used to access the mycelium inside the tree.
You can use Chaga fresh, however, if you do intend to dry it be sure to ensure it dries completely as it is very susceptible to mold. One way is to sun dry, placing it in direct sunlight for the course of the day and bringing it in at night. Do this for several days. If you have a dehydrator, you can use it at 105 degrees Fahrenheit. In an oven is much quicker, but you have to keep an eye that it doesn't burn. Set your anywhere between 200 and 250 degrees, every stove differs. This will take several hours, maybe all day, but at least its not a week! Break the chunk down to roughly golf ball size and store in glass jars. You may have to wrap it with a towel and hammer it down to size. In Russian folklore, storing Chaga in a birch bark box would enhance the energies of the Chaga as it responds to the mother tree. Using a cloth bag and a hammer you can smash it down into a powder and then using a mortar and pestle will to get a finer grind.
Unless you are allergic to mushrooms, Chaga is completely safe to ingest. It is most popularly used as a beverage, such as tea coffee or in a smoothie. David Wolfe, an expert on the medicinal qualities of Chaga, suggests having 3-8 cups of Chaga tea per day on an empty stomach to get the most benefits. Chaga has no stimulants(caffeine or otherwise), so you can have it as a late night tea before bed. It is also great as an iced tea. His recipe for Chaga tea is below:
"1. After finding an appropriate teapot (I recommend 316T stainless steel cookware or Pyrex glass) and a strainer, you are ready to begin your tea making.
2. Fill your teapot with pure cold water. Start by putting your ground chaga (or chaga chunks), herb, and/or tea bag(s) in this water. Allow the herbs to soak in the water (steep). Before heating at all, you can steep the herbs cold for a few minutes up to an hour.
3. Although it can be done more swiftly, take the water up to a hot temperature (no hotter than three-quarters of the way to a full boil) in 45 minutes to 1 hour.
4. Use the strainer and push it into the tea surface to push all the chaga chunks away. Dip a ladle into the area withing the strainer and enjoy!" - David Wolfe, Chaga - King of the Medicinal Mushrooms
*A tea wash can also be used to as a treatment skin cancers.
I must make a note. Only using the Chaga once is considered a waste. Keep the pot on your stove and reheat during the day, re-adding water. Some people continue this way for about a week picking out old Chaga and replenishing with fresh Chaga. Also, you could use a cheese cloth and strain the Chaga and the herbs out. Place it in a jar and store it in your fridge for a week. Tea with sediment remaining will go bad faster. On another note, you can brew your tea to the desired strength, if an hour isn't long enough, you can simmer it as long as it needs. Some recipes I've seen tell you to simmer for 4 hours for a dark tea.
A well strained tea can be used in a conventional coffee brewer and brewed with your favorite coffee, to your desired strength. David Wolfe doesn't suggest using coffee at all. His recipe is below.
1 liter Chaga Tea
1/4 liter almond mylk(found in health food stores)
1 tbsp honey, maple syrup, birch syrup
I personally don't see this as coffee. But if you try it feel free to tell me your opinion.
If you would like to know more about Chaga and its medicinal benefits, I recommend you pick up a copy of David Wolfe's book Chaga - King of the Mushrooms. I really enjoyed reading it, and found it very informative. It is full of facts and lots more recipes, including food and beverages and even deserts! It was $20 at the book store in Dawson City. I have a link to amazon here, which last I checked was only $12.
Have something to share? A recipe? A story? Send me an email @ zinnialynx@gmail.com
Happy Harvest!
- Zinn
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