Chaga harvesting

Where do we get chaga?

We harvest chaga (Inonotus obliquus, birch fungus) in Siberian taiga in the Tomsk Region, Altai and Zabaikalye Territory. Chaga from these Siberian regions has been proven to possess the most pronounced healing properties. The mushroom is harvested far away from the cities and industrial enterprises, which guarantees absence of radionuclides and heavy metals in the finished chaga extract.

Mushroom age is from 10 to 20 years, size is over 25 cm.

Chaga can be harvested at any time of the year. The harvested chaga is cut into pieces less than 10 cm in size and dried in dryers or by natural drying. When dried, the mushroom loses 25-35% moisture, depending on the age, place and time of harvesting. Moisture percentage of the dried raw materials should not exceed 12%.

Dried raw materials are packed in bags of 20-30 kg and stored in a closed, dry, well-ventilated room, protecting them from dampness. Damp chaga grows moldy easily and becomes unusable. It is impossible to store chaga in containers with a tightly screwed lid, as chaga must "breathe".

The more massive the sclerotium and the smaller the inner layer of the mushroom, the higher its quality. The size and ratio of various substances in the mushroom also depends on its age and the place of collection. The older the birch, the more biologically active substances accumulate in the mushroom.

The resource of chaga in Siberia is enormous; even according to the most pessimistic estimates, this birch mushroom will probably never be under biological threat of extinction.