Dried USA Chaga Mushrooms

 Chaga (Inonotus obliquus)

Chaga is not the fruiting body of the fungus, but a sclerotium or mass of mycelium, mostly black because of the presence of massive amounts of melanin. The inside of the conk is orange and relatively soft. It is typically parasitic, though rare, on birch trees. Some people consider chaga to be medicinal. Chaga is traditionally grated into a fine powder and used to brew a beverage resembling coffee or tea. However, caution is warranted with chronic use due to the extremely high concentrations of oxalates in chaga. Currently, three extraction processes are used: hot water extraction, alcohol extraction, and fermentation. (Details are widely available online.) If used to brew chaga “tea”, the chunks can be reused several times. These chaga are sustainably harvested in Michigan, USA.