Chaga mushroom: how to brew a decoction? Video
The centuries-old traditions of quackery include chaga in the complex treatment of various diseases. By using a decoction or infusion from this valuable gift of nature, you can be convinced by your own example of the effectiveness of folk recipes.
Experts say that the mown tinder fungus (Inonotus obliquus), known in Russia as chaga, parasitizes not only birches, but also alder, mountain ash, beech and some other trees. In any case, only the birch mushroom has the studied medicinal properties. Those who consider the use of chaga to be an exclusively Russian achievement are mistaken. For example, she is referred to as the “king of mushrooms” in the oldest Chinese treatise on the beneficial properties of plants, Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, called Bai Hua Rong. The Japanese “name” for chaga is pronounced “kabanoanakake” and has been known to healers in the Land of the Rising Sun for centuries.
Why is chaga tinder fungus useful?
A generally recognized useful property of chaga is its effect on the human immune system: the protective properties of the body are greatly enhanced, reducing the chances of developing various pathologies. The antibacterial activity of the fungus is noticeable to the naked eye: infusions of chaga do not grow moldy for a long time, even at room temperature. Still, it is better to store the resulting broth or infusion in the refrigerator.
Modern knowledge about the properties of chaga dictates techniques that allow you to get the most out of the use of drugs from the miraculous gift of nature. Using a different algorithm of actions, they are based on: ˗ brewing and infusion using water and alcohol, suitable for household use, ˗ fermentation, a laborious process, with various fermentation methods used by pharmaceutical companies.
Raw materials, that is, the body of the fungus used for treatment or for prophylaxis, is stored for no more than two years, after the expiration of the term, the beneficial properties are lost.
Attention: while taking chaga, alcoholic beverages are excluded from the consumption, sweet dishes, spicy and fatty foods, smoked meats are removed from the diet.
Mushroom steeping is the most common and easiest way to use. Differences in the approach to brewing relate mainly to the temperature of the water with which the chaga is poured. Before brewing, the mushroom is crushed: dry – using a grater or crush; pre-soaked – in a meat grinder or blender.
The best sweetener for a chaga drink is honey. Be sure to take into account the high allergenicity of this beekeeping product. In Canada, traditional maple syrup is recommended along with honey.
The guidelines for proportions are pretty close. There are recipes where the ratio of chaga to water is 1 to 5. Many herbalists advise pouring a tablespoon of crushed raw materials with a glass of water. The temperature of the water for brewing is most often limited to the range from 50 to 75 ° C, but there is a method with boiling. We talk about him especially, and here’s why.
Along with the widespread opinion about the destructiveness of high temperature for the activity of the mushroom, there is another one that approves of boiling chaga, boiling mushroom broth over very low heat. Usually, advice is added to this brewing method to pre-stand the crushed raw materials in the freezer. It is believed that the alternation of low and high temperatures contributes to the leaching of nutrients into the broth. Take 3 tablespoons per 1 liter of water, after boiling down to a quarter, you can add water again, repeating the process several times for 2 hours and achieving a high concentration of the boil.
Considering the fact that the thermal sensitivity of many enzymes of the birch fungus is really extremely high, it would be most reasonable to combine both methods. After preparing the extract by boiling the chaga decoction, add it to the brew, obtained by a gentle method, more like infusion. It is simple to prepare it: in the evening, place the crushed raw materials in a thermos, pouring water heated to 45-50 ° С. By morning, water-soluble bioactive substances, not destroyed by boiling, will pass into the drink. Combine the two obtained compositions in equal proportions and drink for good health.