I was given some Chaga mushroom by a coworker. A big huge piece of it. It’s like charcoal with a little orange part on it. It grew on a Birch Tree in her yard. I was excited because I’ve read about medicinal mushrooms and taken them in the form of tea, coffee, and powder. And now the real deal.
Here’s how I made the tea: First I washed it with a brush to get debris, bugs, and dirt off of it. Then I broke it into little pieces with a hammer, and put it on a plate to dry. I let it dry in a sunny spot for 4 or 5 days and then I got to work. I added about a cup of the pieces to the crock pot and added water. About 10-12 cups. Then I put it on low and let it cook for 7 hours. DONE.
Chaga has a lot of health properties. First- talk to your doctor before adding any mushroom to your diet. Here are the benefits: Immune booster, inflammation reducer- this is important as over inflammation is no good. It might lower blood pressure and cholesterol. It’s also good for heart health and digestion. Seems like it does a little bit of everything.
I’ve written about medicinal mushrooms before- it’s such an interesting subject to learn. And there’s a great documentary called “Fantastic Fungi” if you want to learn more.
So if you can find an herbalist or someone certified to take you out and harvest some (something I’d like to do), and get some Chaga, maybe use some of it to make tea. The taste isn’t great but you can always add a sweetener to it.
CHAGA!
Wishing you health and strength.
