Most of the food we buy today is processed in some way, it looks and tastes different from what our grandfathers and grandmothers had years ago. You might not know but food processing in America goes back to the 1940s when M&M introduced Plain Chocolate Candies. Today heavily processed food has often considered as unhealthy eating. Even though properly processing can have many benefits, some still prefer to use seasonal produce in their raw and fresh state.
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When it comes to Chaga mushroom, people have been using it in its raw form for centuries. Chaga chunks and coarse powder in its natural unprocessed form could be easily brewed at your kitchen in the teapot or slow cooker.
If you enjoy brewing process and breathing fresh woodsy aroma of Chaga chunks than you could get the same health and wellness benefits from Chaga mushroom tea at home instead of using processed product in capsules.
What is Raw Chaga?
Considered raw when Chaga mushroom is harvested straight of it host- birch tree. Resembling a piece of charred wood, rather than a medicinal mushroom, Chaga in its natural state seems unappealing. However, its rough texture and foreboding parasitic nature hides its real worth. The true medical benefits of tea lie inside. Properly prepared raw Chaga could offer great support for your body in many different ways.
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If you find yourself in the enviable position to source your own Chaga, remember that consuming raw Chaga in its natural form may not be what you expect. It has a rough surface, hard and quite unappealing, unlike the regular mushrooms which could be found in grocery stores. Raw Chaga is not digestible and it doesn’t taste good but retains properties health benefits of mushrooms.
You should be aware that raw Chaga is not safe to consume in its natural form. All the dust and dirt should be carefully removed. After that Chaga needs to be chopped into smaller chunks and dried.
Sine after harvesting raw Chaga requires only cleaning and drying it should be offered at a lower price. Consumers can save money by purchasing unprocessed Chaga but being able to get the same health benefits which are offered by Chaga dietary supplements.
At Sayan, we carefully prepare raw Chaga chunks and powder and all batches are tested for heavy metals and microbiological contamination. When you buy Chaga from Sayan you can be sure that you are getting only safe and clean dry Chaga chunks or powder with humidity level less than 14%, In addition, Sayan proprietary method for preparing raw Chaga mushroom allows to eliminates any bitterness in the tea you brew.
What Is Chaga Chunks and Powder?
Raw Chaga mushroom usually comes in two main forms: Chaga chunks and coarse powder. This is the purest way to obtain Chaga other than picking it straight off the birch tree in Siberia or Canada. Some people prefer raw unprocessed Chaga because they can brew it to the concentration they like to use.
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Chaga chunks are very pure and very similar to the consistency one would find in a natural environment. These chunks are usually offered in size between 2-6 inches and could be brewed the way they are, or ground farther into smaller pieces, usually called nuggets, or even farther into a coarse powder.
Chaga powder is simply grounded chunks. Some customers are looking for thin Chaga powder but we would not recommend using this product because it is very dusty and hard to brew. One of the advantages of using raw coarse powder is decreased brewing time since water penetrates inside small Chaga particles much faster.
How to Dry Raw Chaga Chunks?
The rough exterior of the wild Chaga is deceiving and textured more like an adverse growth, rather than a nutritional powerhouse. This mushroom is not as dry as it looks and not clean at all. As we said before, it is important to clean Chaga after harvesting from all debris and tree dirt.
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Our advice to dry Chaga as soon as possible after harvesting. Making a dried Chaga chunks takes time and patience. If you don’t have special equipment than it can be done overnight in an oven or under sunlight for a few days. For better and faster results, you can dehydrate Chaga in a 50 to 75-degree oven for several hours. This allows to obtain Chaga chunks with low humidity level and safe for storage. Dry Chaga chunks should have consistency of a tree bark. For best results, store Chaga in a cool dry place after cleaning and drying.
Now you can brew Chaga chunks or ground them into a coarse powder for making tea. You most likely would enjoy adding some honey to hot Chaga tea during cold winters and drinking just cold ice tea during summertime, either way, your immune system will thank you.
Raw Chaga Versus Chaga Extract
Many customers have asked us about the differences between raw Chaga and Chaga extract. We should start by reminding you that raw Chaga should not be consumed. Chaga simply cannot be digested by the human body in its raw form. The my cochin composition of mushroom cell walls, as opposed to cellulose walls of plant cells, is almost impossible for humans to digest. Our stomachs resent indigestible items, and often forcibly reject them without absorbing any nutrients. The brewing process breaks down fungal cell walls, releasing significant nutritional value contained within the mushroom.
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Raw Chaga mushroom is an unprocessed dried, chopped or grounded form of Chaga, available in chunks or powder. Raw Chaga is not water-soluble and needs to be brewed, so you can enjoy its health benefits.
Chaga extract –powder form, produced by water or alcohol extraction method. It is a biologically active product with a much higher concentration of active ingredients than in raw Chaga. Extract is completely soluble in any liquid and doesn’t require brewing.
Sayan Chaga extract is exclusively produced by a low-temperature water extraction, followed by a freeze-drying process. Avoiding high heat processing preserves the potency of the active ingredients, most of the nutritional quality and original taste present in raw Chaga. Our extract is minimally processed and is free from any synthetic, artificial, or highly processed materials.
Which Is Most Beneficial: Chaga Chunks, Power, Tea or Extract?
The least potent product would be raw Chaga chunks or powder. If you enjoy brewing tea on your own and want to get extra energy boost and support your immune system unprocessed raw Chaga would be a good choice for you.
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We should mention that many sellers on the internet offer raw Chaga as Chaga tea. Some sellers offer the same raw Chaga powder labels as tea as well just to increase profits, thus we advise you to carefully look for ingredient list, just to see what are the ingredients in the Chaga product you want to buy.
Sayan is proud to offer exclusive custom tea blend – a combination of raw Chaga and Chaga extract, bringing together these two ingredients in one convenient package. This powerful combination offers the most benefits compared to raw Chaga or any other Chaga tea you could find.
Chaga products could complement each other well. Our Chaga tea has an overall health-boosting effect, assuming it is prepared properly and consumed regularly over a period of time. However, the concentration of the active ingredients in Chaga tea is not as high as in Chaga extract.
Chaga extract contains biologically active substances in large quantities and it is the most potent and powerful Chaga product. The concentration of antioxidants in Chaga extract is very high, thus regular use of the extract can support your health in various ways. Chaga extract is the top choice for those who want to get the maximum health benefits from Chaga. *
At Sayan we offer several exclusive Chaga extract blends:
Chaga extract blended with ishilajit for those who want to get extra health benefits which is ishilajit known for.
Chaga Mushroom Products Come In Many Forms
Today Chaga mushroom is available in many forms: Chaga chunks, raw powder, herbal teas, extracts, capsules, creams, and oil. Since Chaga mushroom is not cheap many manufacturers offer Chaga products which are mixed with other components, fillers or additives. Such products contain only a small percentage of Chaga and provide diminished health benefits. So after all buying raw Chaga sound like a good idea.
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You can use unprocessed Chaga chunks and powder for different reasons. We’re always surprised at the ingenuity people have when it comes to using raw Chaga. Maybe it is the freedom of creating your own health super drinks makes raw unprocessed Chaga a very popular product. We like to recommend brewing raw Chaga but we will leave the option of hot or iced tea to drink for you.
At Sayan, we know that only wild-harvested forms of Chaga are most beneficial to health, thus we offer our customers the most pure and potent Siberian Chaga extract and raw Chaga products. Our Chaga products are produced with no additives, preservatives, flavor enhancers, or coloring agents. In addition, they are caffeine-free and suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
* These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product does not intend to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.