If you had told me years ago, when I was crossing borders with a little pot of chaga tucked into my bag, that this dark, earthy mushroom would one day sit at the very heart of my life's work, I am not sure I would have believed you. It was simply my constant back then, the one steadying thing that came with me from country to country while everything else kept changing. Cacao arrived shortly after, and when she did, my whole world rearranged itself around her.
This blend, chaga and orange together, is another deeply personal one for me, because it holds both halves of that journey. The grounding I have always leaned on, and the brightness I slowly learned to let back in. That is what I want to share with you today. Not only a flavour, but a small story of depth and light finally meeting in the same cup.
My name is Sharon Fernie, and I am the founder of Herbal Cacao, a brand devoted to high-quality ceremonial cacao blends and the holistic wisdom carried by sacred plants. My path is guided by a deep love for holistic wellness and ancient traditions, and by a fascination with the way certain herbs and plants seem made to walk beside one another. Chaga and orange are one of those pairings.
Through Herbal Cacao, it is our mission to support our community on their journey of self and spiritual discovery, spreading awareness about ceremonial cacao and the adaptogenic herbs and mushrooms that have walked beside humanity for generations. So pour yourself a cup of cacao, and let me tell you why our newest blend brings these two together. Not only because the flavour is genuinely gorgeous, but because there is a wisdom in the pairing too.
Meet Chaga, the King of the Mushrooms
Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) grows slowly on birch trees in the cold northern forests, forming a dark, cracked mass that looks more like burnt wood than a mushroom. For centuries it has been brewed as a tea across Siberia, Scandinavia and parts of Asia, earning the name the king of the mushrooms. What draws me to it is its character: grounding, resilient, patient. It is not flashy. It is deep.
Modern research is beginning to describe what traditional peoples sensed. Chaga is remarkably rich in antioxidant compounds. Reviews of its chemistry point to a dark melanin layer prized for its antioxidant and protective qualities, a wealth of polyphenols and unique styrylpyrones such as hispidin, and immune-modulating polysaccharides including beta-glucans. In studies, these compounds show a capacity to neutralise free radicals and to support the body's own antioxidant enzymes. This is the grounding, protective quality you can almost feel in the cup.
It is worth noting that most of this research is still early, often carried out in laboratories or in animals rather than large human trials. I offer it as a reason for curiosity and reverence, not as a promise. If you would like to meet more of its mushroom kin, you might enjoy our reflections on Lion's Mane, the smart mushroom, and on the difference between psychedelic and medicinal mushrooms.
Vitamin C, the Bright Happy Friend
If chaga is the deep forest, vitamin C is the sunlight. It is one of the most well-loved nutrients we know, and for good reason. Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant, which means it helps protect our cells from oxidative stress. It is essential for making collagen, the protein that keeps skin, blood vessels and connective tissue supple and strong. It contributes to the normal function of the immune system, something we reach for instinctively as the seasons turn. And it has a lovely, practical gift: it helps the body absorb plant-based (non-heme) iron more easily, which is why a squeeze of citrus over greens is such old kitchen wisdom.
Our bodies cannot make vitamin C or store it for long, so we are invited to welcome it regularly through food. Oranges are one of its most generous and joyful sources, which is part of why bringing orange into a daily ritual feels so natural.
Cacao, Chaga and Vitamin C: A Circle of Antioxidants
Before we place chaga and vitamin C side by side, I want to pause on the one we might take for granted, because she is the base of everything in this cup. Cacao herself is a remarkable antioxidant. She is one of the most polyphenol-rich foods we know, especially generous in flavanols such as epicatechin, alongside catechin and the procyanidins. A striking share of the weight of pure 100% cacao can be these protective compounds, and when researchers measure antioxidant capacity, cacao often rises above many celebrated foods, green tea, black tea, red wine, blueberries and strawberries among them. Much of this is delicate, which is one of the gifts of conscious, ceremonial preparation: it preserves more of these compounds than heavy roasting and alkalising would. If you want to fall a little more in love with her, we wrote about the 10 magical wonders of Theobroma cacao. The very foundation of this blend, in other words, is already an antioxidant powerhouse.
When you then set chaga and vitamin C beside her, a small circle begins to form. Three antioxidants, each working in its own way. Cacao offers her flavanols. Chaga brings its fibre-rich, fat-friendly compounds, its polyphenols, melanin and beta-glucans. Vitamin C is water-soluble and moves through the watery parts of our cells. In nature, antioxidants rarely work alone. They tend to work as a team, each reaching a place the others cannot, which is one reason whole foods and thoughtful blends so often feel more complete than any single isolated compound. Cacao, chaga and vitamin C are a gathering in exactly this spirit.
The Story That Keeps Being Told, and Why
There is a piece of wisdom that travels through the world of medicinal mushrooms, passed between herbalists, mushroom lovers and wellness circles: take your mushrooms with a little vitamin C, or a squeeze of fresh orange. It is one of those ideas that simply will not go away, and I have come to think that is because it makes such intuitive sense.
Here is the reasoning behind it. The cell walls of mushrooms are built from chitin, the same tough, fibrous material found in the shells of insects and crustaceans. That sturdy structure is part of what locks the prized beta-glucans safely inside. Vitamin C is ascorbic acid, and the thinking goes that its bright acidity may help soften and break down any of that chitin that survives, so the beneficial compounds become a little more available to us. On top of that, vitamin C supports the normal working of the immune system in its own right, so the idea is that it and the mushroom's immune-friendly beta-glucans can work hand in hand. This story does not belong to chaga alone. It gathers around the whole family of medicinal mushrooms, reishi, turkey tail, lion's mane and chaga among them.
What Paul Stamets Brought to This
If one voice sits behind the modern love of medicinal mushrooms, it is the mycologist Paul Stamets, known to many through the film Fantastic Fungi. He did more than almost anyone to bring these mushrooms into everyday wellness, and he gave us the beautiful idea of stacking: combining mushrooms, and the nutrients around them, so their individual gifts amplify one another rather than standing alone. He has long championed the beta-glucans in mushrooms as gentle allies to the immune system. It is within this world he helped shape that pairing mushrooms with vitamin C became such a cherished practice, the bright citrus welcomed as a companion that helps the body make the most of those beta-glucans.
Holding It Honestly
I want to hold all of this truthfully. Much of the vitamin C and mushroom story is mechanistic reasoning and shared practice rather than something proven in large human trials, and I could not find a study that measures it specifically for chaga. So I am not promising you a measurable boost, and I am not making a medical claim. What I am saying is that this is a plausible, time-loved piece of wisdom that the mushroom world holds dear, and that it is part of why the orange in this blend feels so right. Sensory, symbolic, and quite possible. Sometimes the honest answer is that two good things simply belong together.
Why We Chose Orange for Our Chaga Cacao
So why orange, specifically? The first answer is the simplest, and I will not pretend otherwise: the flavour is fantastic. Chaga cacao on its own is deep, earthy and spiced, the kind of taste that makes you slow down. Orange does something magical to it. That bright, sunlit citrus lifts the earthiness, adds a little sparkle, and turns a contemplative cup into one that also feels uplifting and alive. It is the taste of a winter morning with the sun coming through, warm chocolate and forest depth underneath, orange peel dancing on top.
But there is a second answer, the one closest to my heart. Orange is one of nature's most generous carriers of vitamin C, that bright antioxidant companion. So when we fold orange into our chaga cacao, we are not only chasing a beautiful flavour. We are weaving in a little of that sunlit brightness alongside chaga's grounding depth, a small daily gesture of care, sensory and symbolic at once. Depth and light, earth and sun, steadiness and vitality, all in one cup. That felt like the whole philosophy of the blend in a single sip.
This is the newest expression of our much-loved Chaga & Ceremonial Cacao, Divine Strength blend: the same steadying chaga cacao you know, now kissed with orange. Centred, strengthening, and just a little more radiant.
A Simple Morning Ritual with Chaga Orange Cacao
Rituals do not need to be elaborate to be sacred. They only need your presence. Here is a gentle way to meet this blend.
- Warm your water, but do not boil it. A temperature just below boiling keeps the cacao and the other ingredients gentle and alive.
- Whisk your chaga orange cacao into the warm water until it turns silky with rainbow bubbles and the orange lifts to meet you. A pinch of salt deepens it further, only if you like.
- Before you sip, pause. Take one slow breath in, and let the aroma, earthy and bright at once, arrive fully.
- Set one simple intention for the day. Something like: I am grounded, and I am open to the light.
- Sip slowly and mindfully, and let your intention be infused with each sip.
If cacao is a new part of your mornings, or you are wondering how she compares to your usual cup, you might enjoy our thoughts on choosing ceremonial cacao vs coffee.
A Gentle Note on Care
Part of honouring a plant is knowing when to pause. Chaga is a strong, mineral-rich fungus, and it is naturally high in oxalates, so if you have a history of kidney stones or kidney concerns, it is worth a gentle word with your doctor first. The same quiet care applies if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you take blood-thinning or blood-sugar medication, as chaga may interact with these. None of this is cause for worry, only for the kind of mindful attention this cup already invites. When in doubt, your own healthcare practitioner is always the wisest first sip.
A Blend Made with Reverence
Everything we create at Herbal Cacao begins with respect: for the plants, for the people who tend them, and for you who welcome them into your home. Our chaga is chosen with care, wild-harvested and sourced from Estonia, and our cacao is ceremonial grade, sourced with love. If this pairing of grounding depth and bright vitality speaks to you, our new chaga orange blend is waiting for you in the shop, ready whenever the moment feels right. There is no rush. It keeps beautifully, and so does the invitation.
I have come to believe that the things that nourish us most are rarely one-note. We are grounded and we are radiant. We are deep forest and we are morning sun. Perhaps that is why this cup moves me the way it does. May your cup hold both. And may you sip it slowly enough to notice.
With love,
Sharon
Frequently Asked Questions
Does chaga contain vitamin C?
Chaga is celebrated mainly for its antioxidant polyphenols, melanin and immune-supporting beta-glucans rather than for vitamin C. In our orange blend, the bright vitamin C association comes from the orange, while chaga brings its own grounding, antioxidant-rich character.
Is cacao an antioxidant too?
Very much so. Cacao is one of the most polyphenol-rich foods we know, especially rich in flavanols such as epicatechin, and studies of antioxidant capacity often place her above foods like green tea, red wine and berries. Gentle, ceremonial preparation helps preserve these delicate compounds, so cacao is not only the base of this blend, she is an antioxidant in her own right, joined here by chaga and by the vitamin C we associate with orange.
Does taking vitamin C help my body absorb chaga's compounds?
This is a much-loved idea in the world of medicinal mushrooms. The reasoning is that mushroom cell walls are made of a tough fibre called chitin, and that the acidity of vitamin C may help break it down so the beneficial beta-glucans become more available, while vitamin C also supports the immune system in its own right. It is intuitive and biologically plausible, and it is why so many mushroom lovers take theirs with a little citrus. In honesty, it is mostly mechanistic reasoning and shared practice rather than something proven in large human trials, especially for chaga specifically, so we offer it as beautiful wisdom rather than a promise.
What is mushroom stacking, and did Paul Stamets recommend this?
Stacking is the idea, popularised by mycologist Paul Stamets, of combining mushrooms and the nutrients around them so their gifts amplify one another. Stamets is one of the great modern champions of medicinal mushrooms and their immune-friendly beta-glucans. Pairing mushrooms with vitamin C is a cherished practice within the mushroom world his work helped shape, which is part of what inspired us to bring bright orange to our grounding chaga cacao.
What does chaga orange cacao taste like?
Deep, earthy and gently spiced from the chaga cacao, lifted by a bright, sunlit ribbon of orange. Think warm chocolate and forest depth underneath, with citrus dancing on top. Grounding and uplifting at the same time.
When is the best time to drink it?
Many people love it in the morning, when its blend of steadiness and brightness helps set a grounded, hopeful tone for the day. It is naturally free of coffee's jitters, so it can also be a lovely afternoon reset.
Is chaga safe for everyone?
For most people chaga is a gentle daily companion, but a few should take extra care. Because it is high in oxalates, anyone with kidney concerns or a history of kidney stones should check with their doctor first, as should those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or taking blood-thinning or blood-sugar medication. If you are unsure, a quick word with your healthcare practitioner is always the kindest place to begin.
Is this the same as your Divine Strength blend?
Yes, this is our new orange expression of the much-loved Chaga & Ceremonial Cacao, Divine Strength blend. The same steadying chaga cacao, now kissed with orange for a brighter, more radiant cup.
Sources and Further Reading
- Chaga mushroom: a super-fungus with countless facets and untapped potential (Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2023): https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2023.1273786/full
- Therapeutic properties of Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom): a review: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21501203.2023.2260408
- Vitamin C, Fact Sheet for Health Professionals (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements): https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/
- Cocoa Polyphenols, Pennington Nutrition Series (Pennington Biomedical Research Center): https://www.pbrc.edu/training-and-education/community-health-resources/pennington-nutrition-series/functional-foods/PNS_Cocoa_Polyphenols.pdf
- What is Mushroom Stacking? (Anima Mundi Herbals, on Paul Stamets and stacking): https://animamundiherbals.com/blogs/blog/what-is-mushroom-stacking
- Beta-Glucans and the Seven Pillars of Immunity (Host Defense / Fungi Perfecti): https://fungi.com/blogs/articles/beta-glucans-and-the-seven-pillars-of-immunity
- Maximising vitamin C and functional mushrooms: enhancing absorption and bioavailability (Mycogenius): https://mycogenius.com/blogs/science/maximising-vitamin-c-and-functional-mushrooms-enhancing-absorption-and-bioavailability
