View topic - first post ever! chaga tea made from birch tree fungi growth

hi folks new member here,,
i would like to take this time to ask if anyone has had any experiences with chaga tea, made from a mushroom like growth (fungus) that grows on white/yellow birch trees trunk,, apparently it is very healthy, and easy to make after the sap has drained outta the birch trees during cold weather months. i am probably headed to the algonquin area in the next 10 days and will keep my eyes open for this mushroom growth
does anyone have any insights into this brew. i have done a online search. but i am looking for first hand experience information,,,, not trusting my on line search info. thanks
and a big" hello out there" to "the moose lady" l.o.l .
thanks

I made some this past year, found it in Algonquin in Feb 2016. Put it in a paper bag and left it for a couple months to dry out. Broke some pieces and just ground it up(can use coffee grinder ) and put it in some empty tea bags and made tea, taste pretty good.

thanks for the info

Who knew! You could be looking at a potential candidate for 2017's Superfood of the Year!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inonotus_obliquus

It brings to mind a late 1960's happening after Donovan's song "Mellow Yellow" hit the charts. People started smoking the bananadine that they had extracted from banana peels.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bananadine

Anybody try smoking the chaga?

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http://albinger.me/canoe-tripping/

i am certainly not sure about smoking chaga. while making the tea it is recommended not to over heat the water (just like green tea, and matcha tea, i do drink both ) because you burn the goodness outta the tea because of the high temps. i have smoked black tea as a young man and found it to be very harsh.
if and when i find this fungus/mushroom i will most definitely make a nice warm tea.
i am waiting for a call back from a native medicine man for his insights!
thanks for the replay

So do you have to let this dry or can you harvest it and brew up a cup of tea right away?

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Cheers
Rob

Over harvesting in N.B.http://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.2797243

I did a quick search in Ontario Regs and found nothing. Luckily Parks Ontario has a fine for harvesting vegetation.

The best thing about Chaga tea in my experience is the faint wintergreen flavor from the host tree. What I prefer is a tea made from steeping yellow birch twigs. Scraping them with a potato peeler or the back of a knife helps release the flavor. Usually I do it by leaving them to steep overnight in a large thermos. - K

I'd never heard of Chaga before this thread came up. Today while out snow shoeing I found a little and brought it home with me. Just like spring fiddleheads, ramps and wild asparagus, I can't go out for a walk without trying to forage!

once you find it once, you'll find yourself constantly looking.
you can use it right away, make sure you harvest off live and healthy trees. dead ones may have other fungi in the chaga that may not be as healthy.
cut up in smaller chunks to dry, as when its dry its quite hard.
easy way to prepare is to put chunks in crockpot and heat on low overnight. dont keep in too much longer unless you have a keep warm seting on your crockpot. put leftovers in mason jars store in cool place and reheat as needed. it does have a limited shelf life this way. re use the chunks for a second batch.
can also be added to alcohol to make a tincture for medical use.

"thanks" to every one that responded to my question regarding "chaga tea"
great insights. cheers

An update on the properties of chaga _ It brought to mind this post!

http://montrealgazette.com/opinion/colu ... y-evidence

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http://albinger.me/canoe-tripping/

Here is a recent video from Norther Scavenger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNW8irRadJs