Ural Wild Chaga
- 🍄 AVAILABLE IN POWDER OR PIECES: Adapts perfectly to your culinary and medicinal needs.
- 🌱 WILD AND SUSTAINABLE HARVEST: Whole mushrooms picked by hand, guaranteeing quality and respect for the environment.
- 💪 RICH IN NUTRIENTS: Antioxidant, immunostimulating and anti-inflammatory properties, with a high concentration of beta-glucans, vitamin B and other essential micronutrients.
- ☕ UNIQUE FLAVOR: Woody taste with a slight bitterness, perfect to replace black tea or coffee in your daily routine.
The mushroom
Inonotus oblique ou Polypore oblique
Discover the exceptional power of chaga, champion of mushrooms for your well-being and your health!
chaga, used for centuries in traditional medicine, is full of health benefits.
Chaga is a mushroom that grows mainly on birch trees in the boreal and subarctic regions of the planet. These regions include Siberia, Scandinavia, northern Europe, Canada, and Alaska.
In these cold climates, birch trees provide a suitable environment for chaga to grow. The fungus often establishes itself on aging or weakened birch trees, taking advantage of their hard bark and spongy interior to grow.
It appears as a black, bumpy mass, resembling charcoal or burnt bark. Inside this dark outer mass lies a treasure trove of health benefits.
Benefits
Chaga is rich in essential nutrients, including B vitamins, minerals such as potassium, zinc and iron, and powerful antioxidants like polyphenols.
In ancestral traditions, chaga is often appreciated for its beneficial properties. It is traditionally used to support general well-being and is renowned for its potential to soothe and comfort. Some practices suggest that it could contribute to internal balance when integrated into a suitable routine, such as decoctions.
Important :
This information is shared for educational and cultural purposes. The specific benefits of chaga on the immune system, digestive system or any other aspect of health have not been scientifically validated within the framework of European health regulations. For any questions or further information, please consult a healthcare professional.
Its delicate fragrance is reminiscent of undergrowth notes: earthy and woody, slightly bitter notes. Some compare it to coffee or black tea, but it has its own distinct flavor. It can be pleasantly used to replace coffee. Note: it does not contain theine or caffeine.
Why extract chaga?
Chaga extraction, whether done with hot water (decoction) or alcohol (tincture), is essential to maximize the benefits of this mushroom due to several factors:
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Absorption of active compounds: Chaga contains bioactive compounds such as beta-glucans, antioxidants (such as superoxide dismutase) and betulinic acid. These compounds are best released and absorbed by the body when the powder is extracted in hot water or alcohol.
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Durability of compounds: The cell walls of chaga are made of chitin, a substance that is difficult for humans to digest. Hot water or alcohol extraction helps break down this barrier and make the beneficial compounds more bioavailable, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the product.
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Safe consumption: Although consuming raw powder is not dangerous in itself (but chaga is not considered a food in itself) the extraction allows the active ingredients to be concentrated, thus offering a more effective and potentially more beneficial product for the body.
We offer chaga in two forms:
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The powder is easier to use because it can be added directly to infusions and other preparations. It requires a shorter infusion time, which allows for faster extraction of active compounds.
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The pieces have the advantage of being less sensitive to oxidation and therefore better preserve their qualities for long-term storage. In infusion, the pieces require a longer infusion time, but they can be used for several infusions, allowing you to benefit from their benefits over a longer period of time.
Origin and harvest
As chaga is not produced in our regions, we work with a group of experienced pickers who will harvest chaga in the virgin forests of Komi, at the foot of the Ural Mountains. The Ural Mountains offer unparalleled purity and guarantee a total absence of pollution. Temperatures in winter can drop to -30°C in winter and rise to +30°C in summer. It is these significant temperature variations that will give chaga its best nutritional quality.
Our chaga harvests are carried out with a view to sustainable resource management, which involves in particular:
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Responsible harvesting: The harvesters take care to only take part of the mushrooms. They always leave a minimum quantity of mushrooms to allow their regeneration.
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Rotation of harvesting sites: Harvesters avoid collecting chaga from the same place repeatedly. They move to different forest areas to allow the mushrooms to replenish in previously harvested areas.
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Respect for host trees: Chaga grows on living trees, mainly birch. Harvesters are careful not to damage the tree when harvesting the mushroom and to only take mature chaga while preserving the health of the host tree.
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Use of manual methods: Manual harvesting of chaga is preferred in order to minimize damage to the tree and its environment. The tools used are often knives or axes to carefully remove the fungus without causing excessive damage.
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Compliance with local regulations: Harvesters comply with local laws and regulations regarding harvesting wild mushrooms. This includes harvest quotas, specific harvest periods or protected areas where harvesting is prohibited.
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Encouraging natural regeneration: Harvesters encourage the natural regeneration of chaga by protecting previous harvest areas and allowing fungi to spread and reproduce naturally.
These practices aim to maintain ecological balance while enabling responsible and sustainable harvesting of chaga, ensuring the continued availability of this valuable mushroom for years to come.
After harvest and before storage, sorting is done to eliminate pieces that do not meet the quality criteria and to also remove as many pieces of bark and wood as possible to maximize the purity and quality of the product.
Use
Product intended exclusively for the preparation of decoctions or extractions for personal use. Do not consume directly.
Here are some common methods for using chaga:
1. Chaga Infusion
Infusion remains one of the most popular ways to use chaga. To prepare it, simmer chaga pieces or chaga powder in water for 15 to 20 minutes. Then filter the liquid and consume it hot or cold. For a more pleasant taste, add honey, lemon or other natural sweeteners.
- Recommended dosage: 1 to 3 teaspoons of chaga powder per day (approximately 2 to 6 grams).
- Advice for use: Consume in the morning or at midday, preferably at meal time. Limit yourself to 1 to 2 cups per day to avoid excessive consumption of oxalic acid.
2. Chaga mother tincture
Alcohol extraction allows the properties of chaga to be concentrated, particularly the compounds that are not soluble in water. To make a tincture, place pieces of chaga in a glass jar and cover them with strong alcohol (preferably edible ethanol, but rum or vodka can also work). Let the mixture sit in a dark place for 3 to 6 weeks, shaking regularly.
- Recommended dosage: A few drops to 1/2 teaspoon of tincture, diluted in water or other beverage, 1 to 3 times daily.
Additional Tips
- Consumption cycles: To optimize the benefits of chaga, take courses of 2 to 4 weeks, followed by a break of at least 2 weeks before starting again. This helps give your body a break and prevents an overload of oxalic acid.
- Consult a professional: The quantity and frequency of use may vary depending on individual needs and possible health conditions. It is recommended to consult a healthcare professional before adding chaga or any other supplement to your routine.
Here is a video in English on the preparation in hot water infusion.
Composition:
100% whole dried Chaga (no additives, no substrates in our powders).
100% natural, raw, vegan product, additive-free, lactose-free and gluten-free.
Raw, unprocessed product. Handle with care and according to traditional practices.
Average nutritional analysis
| Nutrients | Values |
|---|---|
| Energy (kJ/kcal) | ~320 kcal |
| Fats | <1g |
| of which saturated fatty acids | <0.1g |
| Carbohydrates | 75-80g |
| with sugar | n/a |
| Fibers | n/a |
| Proteins | 4-5g |
| This | Very weak |
Sources and references on chaga:
- Powell, M. (2015). Medicinal Mushrooms - A Clinical Guide.
- D, D. R. P. (2020b). Everything about Chaga Mushroom : Everything You Need TO Know About The Most Potent Medicinal Mushroom : History, Cultivation, Uses, Edibles, Recipe and Health Benefits.
- Alhallaf, W.; Perkins, L.B. The Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Chaga Extracts Obtained by Different Extraction Methods against LPS-Induced RAW 264.7. Molecules 2022, 27, 4207. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27134207
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Szychowski KA, Skóra B, Pomianek T, Gmiński J. Inonotus obliquus - from folk medicine to clinical use. J Tradit Complement Med. 2020 Aug 22;11(4):293-302. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2020.08.003. PMID: 34195023; PMCID: PMC8240111.
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Ye X, Wu K, Xu L, Cen Y, Ni J, Chen J, Zheng W, Liu W. Methanol extract of Inonotus obliquus improves type 2 diabetes mellitus through modifying intestinal flora. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Jan 6;13:1103972. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1103972. PMID: 36686454; PMCID: PMC9852891.
- Lu Yangpeng, Jia Yanan, Xue Zihan, Li Nannan, Liu Junyu, Chen Haixia, Recent Developments in Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) Polysaccharides: Isolation, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities and Application, Polymers, 13, 9, 2021.
- Duru, K.C.; Kovaleva, E.G.; Danilova, I.G.; van der Bijl, P. The pharmacological potential and possible molecular mechanisms of action of Inonotus obliquus from preclinical studies. Phytotherapy Res. 2019, 33, 1966–1980.
Conservation:
2 years in airtight container, protected from humidity.
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