Chaga

 

 Upper right is typical black charred look of  the outside of a chaga conk.

The chaga conk, Inonotus obliquus, that part of the mushroom we see, is not the fruiting body of  the mushroom but rather a breaking out and hardening of the mycelium. Occurring mostly on  living birch trees, the conk  looks like a stub branch that is charred or like a black wart. The actual fruiting body is very seldom seen and usually occurs after the tree has died.
  Gathering chaga often requires a hatchet to remove the conk from the tree. They can be fairly large, twenty pounds is not unheard of, ten to fifteen pounds being common. The inside should  be a light reddish or yellowish brown, more or less the color of the birch trees cambium layer and sometimes streaked with white. It is believed that the chaga conk concentrates certain chemical compounds, including betulin, inotodiol, and active polysaccharides, from the birch tree. Betulin has been used to treat cancer in Russia since 1955.
   We add chaga to our teas as a antioxidant and for it's role as a immune system support.  It has a pleasant flavor reminiscent of cooking down maple sap. Don't make it to strong as it becomes bitter. We usually use it as a additive in our tea rather than the main ingredient but that's just us. We know several people who use it as their beverage of choice. We view it as another ounce of prevention. I have seen no reports of toxicity but as usual, all things in moderation.