Why is chaga so unique?
While all mushrooms are fungi, not all fungi are mushrooms. Some folks online refer to chaga as a mushroom, but by definition, this favorite of the Thieves is actually a sclerotia and not a mushroom.
Say what?! Let’s break down a few things…
A mushroom is the fleshy reproductive organ of fungi, often called a fruiting body. SOME fungi produce mushrooms but not all. The part of the Innotus obliqus fungus called chaga that you order from us to make tea from, and that we make tinctures from, is a hard woody organ known as a sclerotia. (Skler-oh-sha) Innotus obliqus is a parasitic fungus that attacks mostly trees in the birch family.
The harvestable chaga sclerotia that forms is the way for the fungus to protect itself from the birch tree. Being that the fungus is parasitic, the tree is going to fight back. Chaga holds the immune compounds that the fungus can use to slowly take over the tree. Once enough of the tree is colonized, Innotus obliqus forms a something called a poroid under the bark of the tree which rips open a vertical split in the trunk allowing for the spores to be released into the forest. When harvesting chaga, it needs to be hard like wood, not soft or able to be broken with your hand.
True medicinal chaga should always come from a tree. Be aware that some sellers will sell what’s called ‘cultivated chaga’ that they’ve grown on myceliated grain. This means that a liquid spore culture is put into sterilized grain or sawdust. Over a short period of time the substrate is colonized by a fungus. White fibers called mycelium will be seen weaving themselves through the grain. This is not chaga. Not even close. If a tincture is attempted to be made using this cultivated chaga it will be pale and will lack the medicinal properties you're looking for.