’Shroom Service

Used to make medicinal tea and extract, chaga mushrooms have many purported health benefits. We talked to Blair Kovacs of Annanda Chaga (annandachaga.com), based in Sault Ste. Marie, to learn more about this fabulous fungus.

What exactly is a chaga mushroom?

“Chaga is a tree rot fungus with a black, burnt-like coating that grows mostly on birch trees north of the 40th parallel.”

How do you harvest it?

“It must be harvested cleanly leaving a few inches behind so that the wood remains sealed. Conks smaller than a grapefruit should be left behind so they can continue to grow.”

What is the history of chaga in Canada?

“It has been used for centuries by indigenous Obijway and Chipewyan cultures in ceremonies and rituals for physical, emotional and spiritual healing.”

What does chaga tea taste like?

“Chaga from birch trees surprisingly does not taste like mushroom at all: it’s mild and earthy with notes of sweet birch and maple syrup.”