Does a drink that has zero calories, no dairy, no caffeine and no additives sound appealing? This “new” drink is centuries old in a few parts of the world but is available to us now without having to go out in the forest to forage for it, unless you would like to!
Chaga grows in the northern hemisphere and right here on Cape Ann (north of Boston, MA). Technically it is a mushroom or sclerotia and it grows as a conk on birch trees. Recently mushrooms are having a moment as a superfood darling, too. But beyond the kitchen decades of research have proven their value. Even institutions like Memorial Sloan Kettering are writing about it.
Here are just a few of the benefits as determined by the research:
anti-oxidant ORAC food score: greater than 52,000 (blueberries: 2,100) ¹
free radical scavenger, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory ²
boost immunity, increase number of T lymphocytes and macrophages
increase the number of white blood cells in the bone marrow
ramp up cytokines, our naturally occurring immune surveillance compounds
How do I use / eat it?
drink it hot (yes, please!) or cold like a rich and earthy UN-coffee or enjoy a Chaga-Chai (Dr. Gosselin’s favorite)
add it to your kombucha or while in Portland, ME visit Urban Farm Fermentory and ask for it to be one of your choices when sampling a flight of their many delightful kombuchas
add it to your bone broth or put a shot in your morning breakfast shake
How do I make it?
In the tea and coffee section of many grocery stores you can buy a box of foil packets - just add hot water – instant hot chaga drink
“coffee ground” style products- follow the instructions, often take a scoop and add to 3-5 quarts of water, bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer for anywhere from 1-2 hours or let it steep overnight. When finished, pour through a tea strainer. Store this stock supply in a mason jar in the fridge. It will keep for 2-3 weeks. To prepare a serving add about a 1/4 cup to your stock chaga to a cup or glass and add hot or cold water. These are rough measurements. Feel free to adjust the ratio of water to chaga to your taste.
Chaga frequently comes as chunks. If you’re foraging it yourself or find it at a farmers market, this is most likely the form you’ll be working with. Its actually more economical because the same chunk can be re-used two or three times if you freeze it in between use. Add a golf ball size chunk to a 5 quart pot of water, let it soak an hour. Bring to a boil, turning it down to a low and simmer for a few hours. It’s ok to cover, turn off the heat and let steep overnight. When finished, remove chunk(s) from pot, drain and store in freezer for re-use. Store and prepare the chaga stock as noted above.
Use these as starting points, obviously adjust to your personal preference and taste
Where do I get it /who sells this?
Look in the tea section at your favorite natural foods store
Order from on-line Mushroom vendors
Four Sigmatic in California
Fungi Ally in western Mass, or
North Spore in Maine
Your local farmers’ market
Regardless of where you purchase, make sure it is sustainably harvested
1. Conducted by Tuffs University Dept. of Health Sciences Boston, MA: Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Health Project Expo 2003
2. Chemical characterization and biological activity of Chaga (Inonotus obliquus), a medicinal "mushroom", Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 162, 13 March 2015