Chaga is not technically a fruiting body mushroom like a shiitake or a button mushroom, it's more like The Tree Truffle. It is a great endophytic fungus called a conk. The mycelial mass that is chaga, is called a Sclerotium.
It's a loaded powerhouse of melanin and antioxidants. It's a well known Adaptogen that helps to combat fatigue and boost overall energy with serotonin enhancing effects.
We take great care with the sourcing of our chaga and make sure it is ethically harvested by people who can support their families while they protect the environment.
Chaga only grows on the Birch trees in the great Boreal forests on our planet. Charlie sources exclusively from North America, where the climate and environment are optimal for growing high-quality and sustainable Chaga conks. Often times, loggers and paper companies will allow Charlie to search land prior to to logging, so everyone can enjoy this wonderful gift from the woods.
The benefits of chaga mushroom is due to the large amounts of beta-glucans, betulinic acid, triterpenes and minerals that are in the mycelial body. The medicinal compounds found in dried chaga have been attributed to its many therapeutic properties such as antiviral and insulin sensitizing. In April 2022, Chaga was shown to inhibit the COVID-19 virus in the Journey of Computational Medical Biology .
Chaga mushroom is a unique, exotic way to get your immune system started right. Easy to make and delicious, chaga tea has a subtle but complex flavor that pairs well with honey, maple syrup, or can be enjoyed on its own.
Chaga contains antioxidants and minerals like iron, magnesium, selenium, zinc and phosphorus in high concentrations that help support normal cellular function.
The word Chaga was first mentioned to me years ago by a local from New Hampshire. He had heard a rumor it was good for you. His friend Gary was into growing oyster mushrooms and shiitakes so it was only natural. Sometime in early March, up in the mountains in a remote region of nowhere, we decided to go for it...
In the Mountains…
It was early Spring and the ground still frozen. We trekked for 2 hours, then came up to a hill. The walk up was a pain, a sheet of ice disguised under an inch of snow. As we all lost hope, I made a dash for the birch stand. I had gone maybe 20 feet before I almost tripped over a perfectly cut "Y" shaped log, like as if someone had cut the top of a tree off. Sure enough in the middle of that birch log was a hacked Chaga. I was too late.
