Friendly Fungi and Chaga “Coffee”

byRosalee de la Forêt

Every two months we feature a different herb on HerbMentor.

This March and April is a little different, however, in that we are featuring many different medicinal mushrooms.

Medicinal mushrooms are continually grabbing the spotlight for their incredible health benefits, ranging from cancer prevention and treatment to being anti-viral, to curing asthma and even prolonging life.

Type in any of the medicinal mushrooms listed below into a PubMed database and you’ll see countless scientific studies validating their use as medicine. But while science is looking in test tubes to substantiate the health benefits of medicinal mushrooms, people around the world have been using these fungi to improve their health for thousands of years.

But what are these strange creatures anyway?

Placed in their own kingdom (fungi), mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of mycelium. Mycelium is an organism present in most healthy soils. It forms a dense web underneath the soils where it conducts a multidirectional transfer of nutrients between plants and itself.

In a video titled Six Ways Mushrooms Can Save the World, Paul Stamets says that one cubic inch of soil there can be 8 miles of mycelium. The fascinating study of mycelium and its ability to break down and transform materials, even toxic materials, goes beyond the scope of this article, but one I highly suggest looking into.

“Mycoremediation, which could help reduce toxic materials presently related to disposal facilities, help decontaminate and minimize road and farm runoff, creates buffer zones, reduces agricultural waste, reduces pollution in watersheds, reduces the risk of forest fire, and cleans up contaminated pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli.”

—Robert Rogers,

Shitake, maitake, reishi, oyster mushrooms, cordyceps, turkey tails and even the common button mushroom you find at the store all have powerful healing abilities.

In this HerbMentor News, we are going to focus on the Chaga mushroom (Inonotusobliquus).

Chaga (Photo credit: Tomas Čekanavičius)

Chaga is a parasite that grows on birch trees. Technically not a mushroom, just a mass of mycelium, it has been used in folk medicine for centuries, most notably in Russia. Science is now validating its use, showing immunostimulating properties and that it protects against oxidative stress. It is most famous for its use against a wide range of cancers, notably cancer of the breast, lip, skin and colon.

There are some chaga believers out there who claim that chaga can cure every ill under the sun. (Generally these are the same people selling chaga.) Looking at historical use combined with the limited scientific studies available to us I feel confident that chaga can be a beneficial part of our diet (even if I am not ready to jump on the chaga-cure-all bandwagon.)

We’ve been drinking this delicious roasted root beverage that is reminiscent of coffee in flavor and texture. Besides chaga it contains…

Roasted Dandelion Root (Taraxacumofficinale)

Fresh dandelion roots harvested from the garden.

Dandelion root is often the darling of western herbalism. It is a slightly bitter root, rich in minerals and vitamins, that offers eliminating and draining properties. It stimulates the liver, provides nourishment and is a slight diuretic.

Roasted Chicory Root (Cichoriumintybus)

Chicory is closely related to dandelion and often used in a similar manner. This beautiful weed has a long taproot that is also used to support liver health. Roasted chicory root has been used as a “coffee substitute” for hundreds of years.

Please note: You’ll definitely want to roast the dandelion and chicory roots; otherwise this drink, although health promoting, won’t taste all that great. You can generally buy these roots already roasted, or you can buy them raw and roast them yourself. You can also harvest them yourself, chop them well, dry them and then roast them. To do this place a medium sized layer of the roots in a dry cast iron pan. Place it on medium heat and stir continuously until the roots have darkened significantly in color and have a nutty aroma.

Orange Peel

Most of us eat the fruit of an orange and throw the rest away. In doing so we are throwing away the most nutritious part! Chinese medicine has used a variety of citrus peels for thousands of years. In Traditional Chinese Medicine dried orange peel is used to “transform” phlegm in the Lungs or the Spleen and to drain dampness. From a western perspective we can consider this herb when we want to ignite our metabolic fires and promote digestion. We always save our organic citrus peels to dry and add to teas. Dried orange peel can also be purchased.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a fascinating spice with a turbulent history. We tend to think of it as a common kitchen spice but cinnamon has an amazing number of different uses. Its pleasing, spicy, aromatic, and sweet taste combined with its warming attributes can ease digestive woes by increasing circulation and moving along stagnant digestion. This makes it useful for a variety of digestive complaints, including indigestion, gas, and cramping. This recipe uses cinnamon chips. You can also use a half to a full cinnamon stick.
To make this recipe you’ll need…

  • 1 tablespoon chaga
  • 2 teaspoons roasted dandelion root
  • 1 tsp roasted chicory root
  • 1 tsp orange peel
  • 1 tsp cinnamon chips
  • 1 quart of water
  • Need any of the above ingredients? Click here to purchase high quality, organic herbs…

Combine the chaga, roots and spices along with one quart of water in a medium size sauce pan.

Simmer for 15 minutes to 1 full hour. I say 15 minutes for those people unable to do more (certainly you’ll get some benefit) and 1 hour for those who have the patience to really get all the juice out of their herbs.

Another option is to place all the ingredients in a crock pot on low overnight or during the day.

Once it has simmered in whatever manner you choose, strain off the tea.

Add honey and/or cream to taste and enjoy!

My husband and I share the above amount, but if you really love it I see no problem drinking the whole quart by yourself! Note that it does have significant diuretic qualities.