Chaga

Chaga(Inonotus obliguus, clinker polypore, birch mushroom, tschagapilz, Hua Jie Kong Jun) belongs to the wood-destroying fungi. It is multiannual and produces two types of fruiting bodies, sexual and asexual. After infecting a tree, it produces dark, dark black 'split' fruiting bodies which contain chlamydospores, i.e. spores. These fruiting bodies can survive for several years and are about 10-35 cm in size. Later, as the fungus matures and the infected tree whose trunk the fungus has grown through dies, a second type of fruiting bodies containing sexual spores - basidiospores - develop. This fruiting body is larger and can grow to several metres in length. Chaga parasitises mainly deciduous trees, most commonly found on birch trees, from which it also obtains the important ingredient betulin.

Chaga is widespread in the northern hemisphere. It is very well known in Russia, where it is also part of traditional Russian medicine. However, it is equally well known in traditional Chinese medicine.

The mushroom has been known since about 4000 years ago, used by the Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Chinese, etc. Chaga is also described in the Chinese "herbarium" Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing. It is also mentioned by Solzhenitsyn in his book Cancer. Chaga was not unknown to the original inhabitants of Japan, i.e. the Ainu. And they also used the powder from the dried mushroom not only for religious ceremonies.

But chaga was also known to the Indians in North America.

In modern history, Chaga has been studied since 1864 by J. G. N Dragendorff in St. Petersburg. Significant progress in the study of mushrooms was made in the 20th century, its composition was revealed and it began to be scientifically studied.

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