Chaga is part of parasitic fungus that is growing on birch trees in cold climates, you can find it in Alaska, Northern Canada, Northern Europe, Korea, Russia and Siberia.

Native Russian and Siberian peoples may have been the first to use chaga as a natural medication. Tsar Valdimir Monomakh allegedly used it to cure his lip cancer in the 12th century. It was first mentioned in medical writings in the 16th century as a therapy for cancer, ulcers, and tuberculosis.

Another interesting fact is that Otzi the Iceman, a well-preserved mummy discovered in an ice sheet, lived approximately 3400 BC and kept Chaga in his pouch for fire transportation purposes. Although Otzi has not been identified as a member of a certain indigenous people, the Khanty people of Western Siberia are the first known users of Chaga for this purpose.

IMore recently, the Finnish utilised Chaga tea as a coffee substitute during WWar II. Coffee was scarce as a result of the conflict, but there was an abundance of Chaga growing in Finland’s forests, so the Finns traded one energising brew for another.

For many decades, the benefits of chaga mushrooms have been a staple in traditional Eastern medicine. It is only now that it is gaining favour in the Western world.