Chaga tea

[Lorax]

Does anyone else always keep an eye towards the birch trees for Chaga fungus to make tea with?
I bring along on my trips a packet or two of honey to add to it after I let it cook on the fire for a while.

Not only is it good as a tea (which is said to be packed with antioxidants) but makes a good accessory for fire starting, as small chunks burn like a hot coal for quite a while when ignited.

Not the prettiest stuff to add to water, but it makes a great tea for those cold days.

[Pathfinder1]

Hi...


'Fraid I'm not familiar with that.

Have the used sap for syrup, though. Takes many times much more sap than for maple syrup.

[wvbreamfisherman]

Never heard of it- but I'll look into it.

I have been known to pull sassafras saplings for their roots to make sassafras tea. Great with a little honey in it. I've also made mint tea on many a trip with fresh mint.

[Lorax]

It's that mass of black charcoal looking fungus that grows from a birch, usually an old tree injury. It's rough and black on the outside and a golden brown on the inside.
Take a chunk that will fit in the palm of your hand, perhaps a little bigger than a deck of cards and boil it in water until you get a dark tea color.

I just checked and there are a few you tube videos on it.
What I like about it, is that it's not a mushroom looking thing that you could mistake for something else and make yourself sick. You always know it when you see it. It's very easy to recognize.

[Theo]

Uh, what's a birch tree? HaHa. Around here, about the only birch trees you will see are in someone's yard or pictures on the internet. Occasionally, I run across some River Birch but have never seen any Chaga on them. And the bark is not quite the fire starter that the northern varieties are.

[Lorax]

Originally Posted by Theo

Uh, what's a birch tree? HaHa. Around here, about the only birch trees you will see are in someone's yard or pictures on the internet. Occasionally, I run across some River Birch but have never seen any Chaga on them. And the bark is not quite the fire starter that the northern varieties are.

Ok.....before you get too far ahead, we'll go over this for those like yourself in the southernmost states.....

STEP 1: Find birch

[Theo]

Originally Posted by Lorax

Ok.....before you get too far ahead, we'll go over this for those like yourself in the southernmost states.....

STEP 1: Find birch

Sort of like telling one of my Canadian buddies about Sweet Gum trees. HaHa!

I've been reading about Chaga fungus and would like to play around with it, but no luck so far in the deep south.

[Esperahol]

Originally Posted by Lorax

Ok.....before you get too far ahead, we'll go over this for those like yourself in the southernmost states.....

STEP 1: Find birch

Remember that movie - cousin Vinny? Yeah..um... what is a birch? And how to you identify it?

[ppine]

Lorax,
Must be a regional favorite.

[Grandpa]

The only birch in my area is Betula occidentalis, that we call Red Birch but is also called water birch. I have never seen any growth like that on this species. The closest we can come to your white birch is our Aspen trees. They also have a black growth of sorts but I'm not going to drink it until I know more about it.