Chaga Mushroom Powder
Chaga is not a cap-and-stem mushroom. It grows as a hard, charred-looking mass on birch trees across cold northern forests, and it has been stirred into drinks across Siberia and Scandinavia for centuries.
What It Is
Chaga grows slowly on living birch trees, sometimes for decades, before it is harvested. The outside looks almost like a piece of burnt wood; the inside is a deep amber-orange. Ground to a fine powder, it has an earthy, very mildly bitter flavor that is closer to coffee or dark tea than to anything you would recognize as mushroom.
It has a long history in Russian and northern European folk tradition as a daily warming drink, which is still the most straightforward way to use it today.
What To Do
Stir half a teaspoon into hot water and let it sit for a few minutes, like a simple tea. The flavor is mild enough that most people add a little honey or a splash of milk of choice. It also blends quietly into smoothies, oatmeal, or a cup of coffee without changing the flavor much.
Because the powder does not dissolve fully, stirring occasionally as you drink helps. Store it somewhere cool and dry, away from light, and it keeps well for a year or more.
