by Miwa Hiroe

If Chaga were a person, she or he would be extremely old. Her body would be knobby and twisted. Her demeanor, quiet and unassuming. Despite dear old Chaga’s wealth of resources that she has assimilated during her long life, she does little to flaunt them, and is often entirely overlooked. But, for those who seek her out, Chaga is both a proficient and gentle healer. She remedies the body, soothes the nerves, and will give, and give, and give, until she is spent.

Chaga is an arboreal fungal growth, and the one I am referring to, occurs on birch trees. It grows very slowly, absorbing multitudes of earthly goodness, to become a concentrated cache of healing constituents. This charred looking birch conk resides in colder climates and is as local to this area as you or me.

Chaga’s gracious hosts.

The Chaga legacy is one of health and healing. Its adaptogenic qualities adjust to various issues within the body and help to restore balance. While Chaga has gained recent popularity, it has long been used by First Nations people and in ancient eastern medicine to improve Chi and general vitality. Now it is gaining recognition for a myriad of reasons including its beneficial effects on the immune, nervous, digestive, cardiovascular, and endocrine systems.

Chaga contains over 200 phytonutrients, is chock-full of antioxidants and is receiving much attention for combating abnormal and mutagenic cell growth. It is rich in Betulinic Acid, which has been used to shrink some types of tumors, and is a potent source of rubidium, potassium, cesium and germanium, minerals that aid in keeping the body alkaline.

Sustainably harvested Canadian Chaga

Despite Chaga’s ancient existence, it is not entirely common. It does not occur on every, or even most birch trees and its slow growth pace makes it entirely exhaustible. As with most resources, it is crucial that Chaga is appreciated with respect to its finite nature. 

For those who are less inclined to learn about the sustainable gathering of their own fungi, it can still be supported by purchasing from companies that practice harvesting with integrity. At Infinity, Chaga is available in powder form for smoothies, chunks for tea (tea should be steeped on the stove and water can be continually added until the tonic loses colour) or as a tincture (nutrients are most available in this form).