The Old New Superfood

Nordic Food Lab Radio

The chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus, in latin and Báhkkečátná in Sami language) that grows on birch trees has become a trendy 'superfood' in recent years, often marketed as the mystical Siberian tonic for many ailments. But, in fact, it has also been a traditional medicine used for thousands of years in Sápmi, the territory of the Sami people in northern Scandinavia. While the traditional use of chaga underwent a decline in recent generations, researchers began studying the fungus for its positive health benefits- eventually leading to its 'superfood' status. And now young people have started to take back an interest in chaga: not in pill form, but in harvesting it themselves. In this episode, we hear Sami teacher Laila Spik Skaltje talk about both the uses and cultural meaning of báhkkečátná and Sami journalist Máret Steinfjell shares her perspective on its youth-driven renaissance.