A Surprise Find: The Gold of the Woods

Gotta Wanna Chaga!

February 20, 2023 — President’s Day

What exactly is that scaly black stuff attached to and protruding from the pristine white bark of a paper birch tree? Is it a mushroom? No. Is it a UFO that’s landed and become a parasitic earthbound tree dweller? No. Is it a fungus with medicinal properties known for centuries as Chaga? Yes!

A fetching photo of chaga on a paper birch tree. Easy to spot. But hard to find.

Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) is known in northern climes around the world for its health benefits. Typically consumed as a hot tea, it has been a recognized cancer-fighting compound in Russia since the 1950’s. Its high levels of betulinic acid are believed to give this medicinal fungus anti-retroviral, anti-inflammatory, and antimalarial properties when consumed. Betulinic acid has also been used as an antioxidative additive with anti-aging properties for creams and sunscreens. It is able to counteract the effects of ionizing radiation like UV. It’s an antioxidant, and it may help reduce oxidative stress, lower “bad” cholesterol, and support immune function. I wonder, what can’t this stuff do to keep us healthy?

A piece of chaga, about fist-sized, I found on a birch tree in the deep north woods.

I set out today to find some chaga and make a hot chaga-infused drink on this unusually warm mid-February day in central Vermont. Finding chaga was no easy task, but, as luck would have it, a tree deep in the woods, a very large, very old paper birch had a rather large chunk of chaga protruding from a swollen limb just at about eye height. I spotted it from about 100 feet away and used a small pruning saw to cut it from it’s perch. I like to leave about 20% - 30% of the fungus on the tree so it can continue to grow. A good-sized chunk of chaga can take 3 - 5 years to mature, so I’m a fan of letting these magical cankers continue to grow to harvest more at a later date.

Chaga is a fungus that will eventually weaken the tree to the point of breaking it at the spot where the fungus has attached. Chaga’s spores are carried by the wind. Older trees that have developed cracks tend to be good hosts. However, I’ll not harvest chaga from a dead tree, no matter how good it looks. I’ve been told chaga needs a live tree to feed upon, so I’m careful to look for buds (even winter buds) on any tree from which I harvest it.

Here are the steps I take to render the chaga into powder and chunks to make a hot, chaga infusion.

Step 1: Brush off the outside of the chaga to clean off any bark, bugs, or dirt. Choose a cutting tool. I found a hacksaw didn’t work as well as a fine-tooth finishing hand saw.

Step 2: Cut the chaga into slices of about three-quarters of an inch thick, then cut it cross-wise into cubes of about three-quarters of an inch square. Fresh chaga is soft enough to break with your hand, or slice with a sharp kitchen knife, but I used the saw method to produce sawdust powder for my waiting tea ball. Some people cut away or file off the outside black scaly part of the chaga. I prefer to use all of it.

Step 3: Cut on cardboard, then fold it for easy transfer of the chaga powder (sawdust) into a jar.

Step 4: Keep slicing and cubing up the chaga until done. It doesn’t take much of a cut with the saw to then leverage and break the chaga into lengths or cubes. When broken, you can see the beautiful golden nature-nurtured designs and shapes that give this medicinal fungus its nickname, Gold of the Woods. Otherwise, it’s a deep, rich, chocolate, reddish-brown when ground into powder and when the infused liquid is made.

Step 5: Lay out your chaga cubes on baking sheets to let them to dry. Some people put them in a low-heat oven (at about 125 degrees Fahrenheit for a few hours), but I prefer to let my chaga air dry at room temperature in winter when the house air is very dry from the wood stove’s heat. Drying takes a few days. It’s important to dry chaga so it won’t mold. Chaga chunks will become quite hard when dry, so if you want to grind them into a powder, do it quickly, prior to drying. Some people slice them very thinly with a kitchen knife, then put them in a coffee grinder. Others place the chunks in a towel then pound them into tiny bits with a hammer before grinding them up with a mortar and pestle. It’s up to you how you choose to create chaga powder. For me, I like using the sawdust from cutting with a fine-tooth saw as a powder for my tea ball. Chaga chunks will keep for two years in a paper bag or cardboard box at a constant room temperature. If you choose to make an infusion from the dried chunks, place a handful of chunks in a pot of water and boil them for several hours, until the liquid is a rich, dark brown. You can then remove the chaga chunks, let them air dry, then reuse them several times until they no longer yield the cherished dark-brown liquid. Chaga liquid should keep for up to 14 days in the fridge, or you can freeze it, then thaw it in the fridge.

Step 6: Fill a tea ball with about a tablespoon of chaga powder and let it steep for 15 minutes in about 24 ounces of boiling water. The powder is a lovely chocolate red-brown color, evoking deep earth tones of summer. Yummm. I can already taste the smooth chaga liquid infusing my mouth and tongue with its soothing goodness. Some people suggest placing the powder on a plate overnight before use to let it develop a richer flavor. I’ll keep mine in an open jar, then let it dry for a few days before capping it.

Step 7: I use a mason jar, keeping the lid on while the chaga steeps in boiling water so the heat stays in.

Step 8: Pour the chaga infusion into a cup (here, Woody Jackson’s Vermont-inspired cows are getting into the act). Drink, and enjoy the full chaga experience!

Here’s how I characterize the taste of chaga made from powder as a hot, infused beverage:

Hot Chaga Infusion Taste

Woody, maybe woodsy

A slight aftertaste of a light coffee & black tea mixture

Not bitter

Not sweet, but no need for a sweetener. (Though, some people do use honey or maple syrup to sweeten it. I’ve also heard of people using birch syrup, but I’ve never tried it.)

A slight mineral/caramel overtone

Flat to woody as if chewing on a yellow birch stem after the spearmint taste has dissipated (Did you know, yellow birch stems have been chewed for centuries as a breath freshener? They taste like spearmint gum.)

Not at all unpleasant

Sort of like a medium-bodied green tea but with a tree flavor infusing it

Somewhat like tree bark, very earthy, but without any bitter taste or aftertaste

A rather nice cup of tea!

Easy on the palate

It flows smoothly over the tongue

Smooth as silken liquid

Quite comfortable mouth feel

Not pungent or rough in any way

Slight undertones of well-chewed birch bark

Not a dramatic tea, but nice, soothing

Comforting

Relaxing

Slightly spiritual and calming

A bit of a natural fresh-breath aftertaste

More of a mix between a green and a black tea. But without any black tea aftertaste

That’s my chaga story. If you ever find some chaga and don’t want it, let me know. Chaga powder can be purchased online if you don’t want to clomp around the woods for hours in search of this relatively elusive fungus. But, if wandering the woods is your thing, then enjoy your time in nature and keep your eyes open for paper birch (a/k/a white birch) trees. You never know what you might find that’s hiding in plain sight!

Want to learn more about chaga? Here’s a quick read from Medical News Today that has plenty of useful information including nutrition, benefits, and risks (chaga can be unsafe for people taking insulin).

Chaga is a great hot beverage that should soothe your soul on a cold winter’s day, and keep you happy all year ‘round!

Dave Celone writes from Sharon, VT where this President’s Day 2023 he had a surprise discovery of a bit of chaga out in the deep woods, then made a hot chaga infusion drink for himself and his partner. You can reach Dave at djcelone@gmail.com, or by adding a comment to this journal posting. Oh, and Dave is the incoming VP of Alumni Relations & Development at Vermont Law & Graduate School. An extraordinarily special place with a bold, global mission and vision to produce leaders who choose to pursue legal and/or graduate school education to focus on justice, the environment, climate, legal aid for the marginalized rural populations of Vermont, equity, community — all in the cherished environment that is Vermont.