Have you ever heard of chaga?  I never did until we moved to the cabin on Cub Lake.  I went with a neighbor from across the lake on a walk one winter and she pointed some out to me.  She said it had wonderful health benefits and many people around here harvest it.  It looked like a big piece of charcoal stuck to the side of a birch tree to me.  I was intrigued, so I did a little bit of research.

The useful chaga is not the black stuff that you see on the tree, but an orange substance underneath that rough exterior.  It is a mushroom, a fungus, that mainly grows on birch trees in cold climates.  It has been used to treat diabetes, some cancers, and heart disease.  It is high in antioxidants, can boost a person’s immune system, and fights inflammation.  In fact, I came across a pretty extensive list of its many benefits.  That is what I found on the internet, so take it for whatever that is worth these days.

Now that I have you wondering about this wonder fungus, I am sure you are curious as to how to consume this disgusting looking tree mushroom.  Shon and I cut a tree down the other day that had a clump of chaga so I decided I would give it a go.  Shon knocked the chaga off with a hatchet and gave it to me to process.  I took it in the house and used a knife to get the black stuff off.  That wasn’t easy, but I read that it gets more difficult the longer you wait because it dries out and hardens.  I put it in a freezer bag and hit it a few times with a meat tenderizer to break up the big chunks.  When we turn the generator on later, I will send it through my food processor to make it even finer.  After that, I will spread it out on a cookie sheet and let it dry for a few months.  When it is dry, we will be able to make it into a tea, add it to our coffee, or we can even make chaga hot chocolate.  I will let you know how it tastes and if we are miraculously healed of all of our aches and pains.    

I have just started this chaga journey, so I am learning and am open to any fungus advice.  Feel free to comment with any tips if you are a chaga expert!