What is chaga mushroom tea?

There have been a variety of popular tea trends over the years. From the rise of matcha lattes to color-changing teas, simple ingredients can have an incredible impact on your cup. Recently, we’ve seen an exciting trend on the rise: chaga mushroom tea! Caitlin Schiessl explains what chaga is, the benefits of consuming it, and how to incorporate this ingredient with your menu through our new offering.

Intro to Chaga

Chaga (inonotus obliquus), also known as the “King of Mushroooms”, is considered an adaptogenic mushroom and is revered for its immune-supporting properties. The mushroom typically grows on birch trees in colder climates, such as Northern Europe, Siberia, Russia, Alaska, and northern Canada. While a bit unattractive in appearance (think burnt campfire marshmallow plastered to the side of a tree), this non-toxic fungus has a relatively mild flavor with a bit of earthiness. For tea, this mushroom can be cut into small chunks or ground into a fine powder and brewed for consumption.

Benefits of Mushroom Tea

There are several advantages to drinking chaga mushroom tea. Here just a few of them:

Rich in Antioxidants: Chaga is one of the most antioxidant-rich fungi!
Supports a Healthy Immune System: Chaga contains beta-glucans and polysaccharides that enhance immune function.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties: Studies have linked chaga to reducing inflammation, which can be beneficial to individuals with such conditions.
Supports Digestive Health: Chaga contains compounds that promote gut health.

RTNY Mushroom Tea

With all of this in mind, we’ve created a fun new mushroom tea blend for 2025: Chaga Vanilla Chai. This blend is packed with chaga mushroom chunks that were wild harvested in Canadian forests. However, there is an art to harvesting chaga mushroom. If it’s not harvested carefully or is over-harvested, then the trees can become damaged and the mushroom will not regrow. Therefore, it’s important that we sustainably source this fungus!

We recommend this blend to those with customers that are into winter wellness or those who are looking to try something new with potential health benefits. Along with chaga, this mushroom tea has Assam, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom. The flavor profile is malty, warming, and sweet. Brew it hot with a bit of milk or creamer for a treat!

Lastly, connect with you tea trader for a sample and reach out with any questions.