Choco TAT (Psilocybe Cubensis)
Psilocybe Cubensis
Visual Identification
What is Choco TAT? A Complete Overview
Choco TAT is a highly regarded Psilocybe cubensis strain known for its distinctive physical traits and strong visual potency. The name 'Choco' is a nod to its deep chocolate brown cap color, which ranges from caramel to dark brown depending on maturity, while 'TAT' refers to the mycological community that originally cultivated and propagated this strain — the "Texas Art Teacher" lineage, from which this phenotype diverged. Both mushroom grow kits and monotub or dubtub setups produce impressive yields reliably.
This strain is particularly eye-catching due to its thick, meaty stems and bulbous caps that often retain a velvety texture. Mature specimens may exhibit a wavy or upturned margin and noticeable bluish bruising — a hallmark trait of psilocin presence. Choco TAT thrives in artificial cultivation systems and is notable for its consistent fruiting patterns and uniform flushes. It is especially popular among both amateur mycologists and psychonauts due to its easy recognizability and consistent experience.
While Psilocybe cubensis strains vary in expression, Choco TAT boasts a richer pigmentation compared to many other albino or lighter variants, making it ideal for consumer identification and spore microscopy research. This strain has quickly developed a strong reputation within the underground mycology world as a solid, visually robust, and psychoactively intense option for enthusiasts looking for elevated experiences.
Taxonomic Classification
Origin and Cultural Development of Choco TAT
Choco TAT comes from a modern lineage of mycological breeding rather than indigenous heritage. Nevertheless, its genetic roots — owe themselves to the 'TAT' (Texas Art Teacher) strain, a culture developed from Psilocybe cubensis varieties increasingly modified by passionate cultivators exploring novel phenotypic expressions. The TAT strain itself was a community-created variant that broke ground via online mushroom cultivation forums and social media mycology networks. Mycologists described it as a thick, robust, and fertile variety initially grown and shared by a user affectionately known as 'Texas Art Teacher'.
The Choco phenotype is thought to be a cross or phenotype variation of the original TAT lineage with a darker cap coloration. Unlike naturally wild-discovered shamanic mushrooms that carry centuries of spiritual and cultural context (such as Psilocybe mexicana or Psilocybe zapotecorum used by Mazatec people), Choco TAT represents a contemporary innovation in psychoactive mushroom culture — embodying the decentralization of psychedelic cultivation, evolution, and accessibility.
Culturally, Choco TAT has developed its own modern mythology among digital mushroom cultivation communities. Users often share anecdotal reports of powerful yet manageable journeys, citing introspective, mystical visual experiences. It plays a role in contemporary psychedelic exploration, microdosing experimentation, and spiritual wellness practices. Though not embedded within indigenous ceremonial rites, it represents the democratization of entheogenic experiences in the current age of digital information sharing.
How to Cultivate Choco TAT
Difficulty Level: Beginner to Intermediate - celebrated for ease of cultivation and high resistance to contamination, making it forgiving for novice growers.
Substrate Requirements:
- Sterilized milo grain bags for spawn
- CVG substrate (coco coir, vermiculite, and gypsum)
- All-in-one grow kits (pre-loaded with sterilized grain and substrate layers)
- Alternative nutrient-rich bulk substrates
Environmental Conditions:
- Colonization Temperature: 75°F to 80°F (24°C–27°C)
- Fruiting Temperature: 68°F to 72°F (20°C–22°C)
- Humidity: 90% during fruiting
- Air Exchange: Adequate airflow using monotub or shotgun fruiting chamber
- Lighting: Indirect light exposure
Timeline:
- Colonization: Vigorous mycelium growth with high contamination resistance
- Pinning stage: Pins typically begin to form after 7–12 days of proper fruiting conditions
- Harvesting: Full flushes emerge in arrays of dense, chocolate-capped fruit bodies with thick white stems
Important Note: Choco TAT is particularly suitable for all-in-one grow kits due to its plug-and-play nature. Once inoculated with a spore syringe, the environment is self-contained and requires only patience and indirect light exposure. The strain's vigorous growth and consistent fruiting patterns make it ideal for both amateur mycologists and experienced cultivators.
Where Would Choco TAT Typically Grow?
Choco TAT, like other varieties of Psilocybe cubensis, is primarily propagated in artificial settings designed to optimize growth. However, if allowed to naturalize or revert into the wild, it would prefer subtropical to tropical environments with consistent humidity, decaying organic matter, and indirect light exposure.
Psilocybe cubensis varieties, in general, are coprophilous fungi — meaning they can grow on dung, especially from herbivores such as cows, in warm and humid climates. However, newer strains like Choco TAT have been cultivated to thrive on alternative substrates, so in naturalized conditions, it may also colonize plant debris, saturated soil rich in decomposing wood fibers, or agricultural compost heaps.
Key environmental conditions include:
- High relative humidity with periodic rainfall
- Shade or dappled light conditions
- Mild soil acidity with organic-rich topsoil
- Decomposing matter and nutrient-rich substrates
- Warm, humid climates similar to Central America, Northern South America, Southeast Asia
Regions that would be theoretically compatible include parts of Central America, Northern South America, Southeast Asia, and parts of the American South and Gulf Coast under the right conditions. Forest edges, clearings, meadows, or livestock pastures during wet seasons would provide suitable environments. Unlike truly wild specimens, however, Choco TAT mushrooms do not have archaeological or long-standing documentation of spreading naturally in the wild — rather, they are an artifact of controlled evolution within indoor mycology.
When are Choco TAT in Season?
Spring through early autumn; peak between April–October in temperate climates
Are Choco TAT Edible or Toxic?
Toxicity Information:
Although Choco TAT is not conventionally toxic, it does carry typical risks associated with high-potency Psilocybe cubensis strains. Psilocybin and psilocin, the primary psychoactive compounds, are physiologically non-lethal even at high doses, but they can cause substantial psychological distress, especially in the absence of proper set and setting.
Physical Risks:
- Potential adverse effects include anxiety, paranoia, nausea, temporary cognitive disorientation
- Elevated heart rate and — in rare cases — hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder (HPPD)
- High dosages due to elevated potency can fast-track users into profound psychedelic states
Risk of Misidentification:
These mushrooms are sometimes confused with poisonous lookalikes by foragers, which can prove fatal. Although Choco TAT is usually cultivated indoors by growers, those less experienced should never assume edibility based solely on appearance. Additionally, individuals with preexisting psychiatric diagnoses (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) are advised to avoid psilocybin use due to potential triggering of latent symptoms.
Despite lack of physiological toxicity, psilocybin affects serotonin receptors and must be handled with psychological intention, not as a recreational drug. Overconsumption may cause users to experience identity distortion, ego death, or panic attacks if unprepared for intense experience.
What are the Medicinal Uses for Choco TAT?
While not medically approved for treatment protocols, Choco TAT, as a subtype of Psilocybe cubensis, carries potential medicinal benefits associated with psilocybin and psilocin — the primary psychoactive alkaloids.
Potential Benefits:
- Mental Health Applications: Recent studies suggest that psilocybin may offer profound therapeutic value in treating depression, PTSD, anxiety, and various addictive conditions
- Neuroplasticity Enhancement: Neural mechanisms triggered by high psilocybin doses promote enhanced cortical neuroconnectivity, neuroplasticity, and modulation of the Default Mode Network
- Macrodosing Benefits: Users report expanded emotional insight, reduced symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder, and lessening of existential anxiety
- Microdosing Applications: May promote subtle neuro-cognitive enhancements like increased creativity, stress mitigation, and attention regulation
The anecdotal synergy of Choco TAT includes not just relief from psychological conditions but also enhancement of spiritual awareness, personal growth, and elevation from trauma through introspective exploration. These benefits are typically maximized in therapeutic frameworks with controlled set and setting. As legislation changes, it's possible Choco TAT and its lineage will be further researched for structured psychotherapeutic application.
Important: Scientific validation of microdosing remains ongoing, and medical applications are still under study. Always consult healthcare professionals before considering therapeutic use.
What Drugs Interact with Choco TAT?
Interactions with Prescription Medications:
- SSRI Antidepressants: These antidepressants can dampen the effects of psilocybin due to serotonin receptor competition
- MAO Inhibitors (MAOIs): Combining with MAOIs may intensify or prolong effects, sometimes dangerously so due to increased serotonin levels, risking serotonin syndrome
- Lithium: Widely reported adverse interactions including seizures, and is strongly contraindicated
Other Substances:
- Alcohol: Often causes nausea and cognitive dilution during psilocybin experiences
- Cannabis: May intensify visuals or anxiety depending on the strain and user receptivity
- Benzodiazepines: Can counteract a trip's intensity but may also create confusion if used mid-experience
- Recreational Combinations: MDMA, LSD, or ketamine combinations are becoming more common but lack scientific safety data
Important: As psilocybin's primary mechanism is serotonergic, combining with other drugs that act on serotonin pathways should be approached with extreme caution. Intentional psychedelic users and therapy practitioners recommend a "clean body" before undertaking mushroom journeys — at least a 48–72 hour washout of all serotonergic or stimulant medications unless monitored by a medical professional.
What Mushrooms Look Like Choco TAT?
Choco TAT mushrooms, like their Psilocybe cubensis relatives, have a fairly distinctive look in the cultivated environment, but confusion can still arise — particularly for beginners or foragers. The earthy browns and blue bruising of Choco TAT can resemble other mushrooms, both psychoactive and dangerous:
- Galerina marginata (Deadly Galerina): One of the most dangerous lookalikes. Brown, small, with similar cap dimensions, and can grow in similar moist environments. Contains deadly amatoxins
- Conocybe filaris: Another toxic lookalike with fatal compounds. Exhibits similar cap size and grows in grassy meadows like cubensis species
- Panaeolus cinctulus: A psychoactive but weaker mushroom sometimes misidentified as Choco TAT due to its dark gills and similar size
- Psathyrella species: Generally non-toxic and non-psychoactive but exhibit similar coloration and cap morphologies
Safety Note: Critical distinguishing factors for identifying Choco TAT include the thick stem, substantial cap with dry chocolate-like color, and vibrant blue bruising that appears after handling. Wild foraging increases the chance of dangerous misidentification, so cultivation from reliably sourced spores is the safest route. When in doubt, amateur mycologists should avoid consuming any mushroom that has not undergone proper identification using spore prints, microscope analysis, or DNA sequencing.
Disclaimer: This information is for educational, taxonomy, and research purposes only. Always consult a trained professional before attempting to identify any mushroom. Always consult a trained healthcare professional before attempting to ingest any mushroom. Do not message asking if we sell cultures or spores, all requests will be ignored. Always respect your local laws.