Start your morning with a chaga tea boost

Earlier in the fall, I shared a hearty mushroom soup recipe and talked about the health benefits of mushrooms. Mushrooms have immunity-bolstering properties and are high in selenium and Vitamin D. The chaga is a type of medicinal mushroom that is particularly great for boosting immunity. 

WHAT IS CHAGA?

Chaga mushrooms grow on birch trees. Harvested out in the wild, this super fungi looks like a chunk of charcoal. It’s a powerful antioxidant and adaptogen, which makes it a good foil for energy boosting drinks like coffee. Personally, I prefer to buy my chaga in tea-cut sized “grounds” packets, but we also sell a good brand of chaga mushroom powder here at the clinic. 

I usually make a huge pot of chaga tea to have on hand at home. The taste is mild and can be covered up by anything you’re mixing it with. I use this as my base for smoothies, coffee, soups, and steaming vegetables.

Here are the recipes for my go-to chaga hot beverages. They are the best way to start or warm up a day!

CHAGA TEA BASE

This tea base is mild in taste and can be enjoyed on its own or as the base for a coconut chai latte or a chaga coffee.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 small handfuls of chaga (powder or tea cut-size)
• 2 litres of water

METHOD:

• Boil the water in a pot on the stove
• Once at a roiling boil, bring temperature down to a low simmer
• Add your chaga to the water
• Simmer on low for 20-30 minutes
• Pour liquid through a sieve into another pot to catch any grounds — set aside the sieve with grounds (you can reuse the grounds for another batch!)
• Ladle yourself a mug to enjoy
• Let cool and keep leftovers in a sealed container refrigerated
• OPTIONAL: Use leftover grounds to make another batch. I usually add another little spoonful of chaga to get that dark colour.

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COCONUT CHAGA CHAI TEA LATTE

This recipe starts off the same way as the tea base, but adds spices for some chai-inspired flavours.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 small handfuls of chaga (powder or tea cut-size)
• 2 litres of water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• Handful of cardamom pods
• 4-6 slices of fresh ginger (more if you like it spicy)
• 1 tsp of black peppercorns
• Coconut milk to taste
• Honey to taste
• OPTIONAL: cloves, star anise

METHOD:

• Bring chaga powder and water to a boil with the cinnamon sticks, cardamom, peppercorns and other spices
• Simmer on low for 20-30 minutes
• Pour liquid through a sieve into another pot to catch any grounds — set aside the sieve with grounds (you can reuse the grounds for another batch!)
• Ladle yourself a mug with room to add coconut milk and honey  to taste
• Let remaining liquid cool and keep leftovers in a sealed container refrigerated

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CHAGA COFFEE

This is your morning coffee with a little oomph!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 small handfuls of chaga (powder or tea cut-size)
• 2 litres of water
• 3-6 tbsp ground coffee (depends on how strong you like your coffee)

METHOD:

• Bring 1-2 cups of your chaga tea base to a boil (in a pot or in your kettle)
• Add the ground coffee to a French press
• Pour the hot tea base in the press 
• Steep for five minutes before plunging the press

Let me know how you enjoy these morning drinks!