chaga tea. the right story

[wareagle69]

So I looked back on a thread that I had posted in. I was wrong in my statement about chaga. I had said it was more a virus than a mushroom. I was wrong. It is called Inonotes obliquus
A friend at work has made up a bunch of tea with this and shared a bunch of this with me. The benefits after a couple of weeks has been the energy boost.
Side effects. Maybe. For a few days I had headaches but I had also recently quit coffee.had the trotts the first few days after a strong cup. And also there was times I felt supper hot even outdoors in the cold. All this has passed. I can attribute any of these effects to my body adjusting to something not in my system before.
This has inspired me to make 2013 the year of the wild tea.
Happy foraging folks
Denis

[nell67]

Sounds like you went through a detox with it,and thats a good thing.

[mountainmark]

WE, good to hear you have developed an energy boost from chaga. I have made some tea from it and quite enjoyed it. Though i was warned against drinking it as a preventative as you will gradually develope a tolerance and may not get the full affect in a time when you might really need it.... ie. cancer etc.

Just a thought.

[wareagle69]

Can you cite the source about that. My guy does a ton of research on wild teas. I will have to ask him about this

[mountainmark]

hmmm... That's tough. The people who told me this have a website. www.wildgourmetfoods.com They told me this in person but I don't know where they got it. I will ask them the next time I see them, but you may try sending them a message too.

I usually trust what they say b/c they do a lot of research too but always good to source things out.

Hope it is ok to post a link. If not mods feel free to move it.

[crashdive123]

The link is fine.

[randyt]

how do you prepare chaga tea? There are some reports that indicate the chaga shouldn't get over 180 degrees.

[wareagle69]

To answer your question I will ask this question. What came first the chicken or the egg? There are many different thoughts out there. The only thing I will conclusively say is that science and medicine do not know enough about chaga. Does it help? Maybe! I do know my energy has booted allot. I was sick several times last year, so we will see if the claims about boosting immune system are valid. I do get the dry mouth that I have read about. But I just end up drinking more water. Where is the harm in that?.
Bottom line is that I believe if it is wild and local it will benefit me.
Cheers

[wareagle69]

Btw I boil water then pour into my cup add tea bag and steep

[payne]

Chaga grows on birch trees right? Can I hope to find them out here in the winter, in Quebec's forests?

I met a couple that used it a lot when I was tree planting. They told me it does grow out here, in the East. I'd love to find some and try it out.

[randyt]

thanks for the info.

[wareagle69]

Chaga grows on birch trees right? Can I hope to find them out here in the winter, in Quebec's forests?

I met a couple that used it a lot when I was tree planting. They told me it does grow out here, in the East. I'd love to find some and try it out.

Winter is the best time to harvest

[payne]

Winter is the best time to harvest

I have found 3 specimens, 2 of which were not growing on birch so I left them behind.

How am I supposed to make a chaga tea? Is the black crust as good as the rest of the mushroom or must it be scrapped off?

[mountainmark]

I have found 3 specimens, 2 of which were not growing on birch so I left them behind.

How am I supposed to make a chaga tea? Is the black crust as good as the rest of the mushroom or must it be scrapped off?

I use the corky brown stuff inside. I scrape off most of the "crust" but it doesn't seem to bother the flavor if some of it stays on.

[payne]

How am I supposed to prepare my teas?

http://www.mushroomhunter.net/chaga_recipes.htm

Also, I have read that only the ones that grow on birch trees hold medicinal value. Is that right?

[mountainmark]

How am I supposed to prepare my teas?

http://www.mushroomhunter.net/chaga_recipes.htm

Also, I have read that only the ones that grow on birch trees hold medicinal value. Is that right?

i don't know if there is a "right" way to do it. I believe I have done it the hard way and the easy way.

Hard way: Pour boiling water over the ground chaga. Let set for 24 hours. Strain, reserving the liquid. Boil softened grounds at a ratio of 2 parts water to 1 part grounds until half the water is evaporated. Add the reserved liquid back in. Warm it up and enjoy

easy way: boil the grounds. Strain. Enjoy

My understanding is the harder method is more for getting everything you can out of the chaga and concentrating it for medicinal benefits rather than a tasty tea. (Read cancer etc.)

ps. I have read the same thing about the birches, can't say I know any more than you.

I have perscribed the long method to a friend of mine who was dying of bladder cancer. He still died. May have started too late or maybe he just gave up the will to live. It did help him feel like he was doing something about it though after the docs said they were through any interventions. Gave me an excuse to walk around the woods praying for him and looking for chaga too.

[payne]

I have perscribed the long method to a friend of mine who was dying of bladder cancer. He still died. May have started too late or maybe he just gave up the will to live. It did help him feel like he was doing something about it though after the docs said they were through any interventions. Gave me an excuse to walk around the woods praying for him and looking for chaga too.

Sad.

But thanks for your answers.