In this episode, River and Terran return to the kitchen to craft their own special flavors.  In this case, it involves working with the chaga mushroom.  The tea made with this mushroom is both flavorful and extremely beneficial to one’s health.  Chaga tea has been found to be very good for the GI tract, and for the nervous–, immune–, cardiovascular–, and endocrine systems due to its high levels of antioxidants.

What is Chaga?

A chaga is a non-toxic fungus that grows, very slowly, on birch trees.  Often, the shape and color are enough to make a person look the other way.  However, the charcoal-hued mass is another of Mother Nature’s miracles.  With careful intent, a person can harvest a rather large chunk of chaga without damaging the tree or preventing further growth of the mushroom. 

Once harvested, the chaga is often dried and ground to a fine powder for the sake of easy brewing.  However, it isn’t necessary to wait for drying. We promise you that this tea is worth a taste!

The Journey to Chaga

For River and Terran, this tea started with a trip to the National Forest, where they harvested their very own mushroom from fallen birch trees. Can’t get to the forest?  You can buy organic, wild-harvested chaga online!

Chaga Tea

Ingredients

• Chaga Mushroom
• 1 liter hot water
• Honey or Maple for sweetening

Directions

1. Chop the chaga into 1” pieces.  You may need some assistance for this, because the chaga is tough.  Put some muscle into it!
2. Fill a kettle with 1 liter of water and heat until you hear the telltale whistling.
3. Add two handfuls of chaga to the water, cover with lid, and simmer for one hour.
4. Pour and add honey or maple to taste.

 You can reuse the chaga chunks a few times until they lose all of their flavor.  You can also use chaga to create a health-boosting tincture.