Chaga Capsules, 60

Chaga looks more like burnt charcoal than a mushroom: a dark, cracked growth found on birch trees with a rust-orange interior. These chaga capsules from Mushroom Dispensary use a dual extract of that growth, known as the sclerotium: each two-capsule serving is 1,000 mg of 10:1 extract, equal to about 10,000 mg of dried chaga.

Sixty vegan HPMC capsules, 30 servings, amber glass. Grown in Finland, bottled in Sheffield.

What it is

A 10:1 extract means ten parts of dried mushroom went into making one part of extract. So the 1,000 mg in a two-capsule serving represents about 10,000 mg of dried mushroom, which is the figure the brand prints. That is the number to use when comparing with a whole powder capsule, where 500 mg is simply 500 mg of dried mushroom.

Chaga is unusual among the mushrooms on our shelf because the part used is not a fruiting body at all. The sclerotium is the dense, dark mass that chaga pushes out through the bark of a living birch over many years; the true fruiting body is rarely seen. Mushroom Dispensary states the sclerotium as the part used and never mycelium grown on grain, which is the honest label for chaga.

Chaga has traditionally been broken up and simmered for hours as a dark tea across Russia and the Nordic countries. The capsule skips the simmering: the dried sclerotium is dual extracted in hot water and ethanol and the extract is dried and filled into HPMC capsules. Brewed, chaga tastes mild and faintly of vanilla; in a capsule there is no taste.

Mushroom Dispensary is a UK mushroom extract brand. Its mushrooms are cultivated in Finland and the extracts are bottled in Sheffield. Every product is a dual extract, made with hot water and then ethanol, from the fruiting body only, never mycelium grown on grain. Capsules are plant-based HPMC with no gelatine, grain, starch or filler, and everything is sealed in recyclable amber glass.

How to take it

Two capsules a day with water. The brand puts no condition on food, so take them with a meal or without, whichever you will remember. Capsules can be opened and the contents stirred into a drink if you prefer, though the extract is bitter. The brand gives no preferred time of day for chaga; breakfast is the easiest habit to keep.

• 60 vegan HPMC capsules per bottle
• 1,000 mg of 10:1 extract per two-capsule serving, equal to about 10,000 mg of dried mushroom
• 30 servings, so about a month at the recommended serving
• Amber glass bottle; store closed in a cool, dry cupboard
• £19.99 works out at about 67p a serving

This is a food supplement and not a substitute for a varied diet or a healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the recommended daily intake. Keep out of reach of children. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or under medical care, speak to your GP or pharmacist before use.

What's inside

• Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) sclerotium, 10:1 dual extract, 500 mg per capsule
• HPMC (plant cellulose) capsule shell
• No gelatine, grain, starch or filler

Inonotus obliquus is a fungus of birch (Betula) forests across the northern hemisphere. The sclerotium is a hard, black, cracked mass with a golden-brown interior, slow growing and harvested from living trees or cultivated. Finland, where the brand's chaga is grown, is birch country.

Who it's for

People who want chaga without a long simmer, in a capsule with the ratio and the part used on the label. It suits a morning supplement routine alongside lion's mane, and it suits anyone who has read about chaga and wants a straightforward way to try it. It is also the format for travel, where chunks and a saucepan are not an option.

If you want chaga as part of a blend, our six mushroom complex includes it as one sixth. If you want to compare with a capsule that does not state a ratio, our own-label chaga is 500 mg of extract.

Pairs well with

Compare with our own-label chaga capsules, 500 mg of extract with no stated ratio. The Mushroom Dispensary lion's mane capsules are the usual morning partner from the same grower, and the brand's reishi capsules the evening one. Browse the whole mushrooms department, every capsule under capsules, and the new in collection.

Frequently asked questions

What is chaga?

A fungus that grows on birch trees as a hard black mass with an orange-brown interior. It is dried and brewed as a tea or extracted for capsules. Our chaga guide covers it in full.

What is a sclerotium?

The dense mass of fungal tissue that chaga forms on a birch trunk. It is the part harvested and extracted, rather than a cap and stem.

What does 10:1 mean?

Ten parts of dried chaga went into one part of extract. The 1,000 mg serving represents about 10,000 mg of dried chaga.

Is it wild or cultivated?

The brand states cultivated in Finland.

Read our chaga guide for where chaga grows, how it is harvested and how tea and capsule formats differ. Herbastore ships this product from the UK, with free UK shipping on orders over £40. Orders are packed by Herbastore UK, so if you are buying from more than one of our brands everything arrives together.