Our next stop during our recent trip to China was to the heart of mushroom country!
Organic medicinal mushrooms are now a hot topic in the superfood market. Consumers today are increasingly seeking natural alternatives to improve physical conditions, stimulate the body, and support overall health. Many of these needs have traditionally been addressed with medications or stimulants like coffee and guarana. However, the unique compounds found in mushrooms, established over thousands of years in Chinese medicine, are now recognised for their wide range of health benefits.
This growing interest has fuelled demand for organic mushroom powders and extracts, pushing us to scout and pioneer reliable sources for the European market. With China’s deep-rooted tradition of cultivating and utilising mushrooms, it was the natural choice for our exploration.
Why China?
China’s centuries-old expertise in mushroom cultivation is unmatched. Generations of farmers have honed their skills, creating a vast and reliable supply chain that meets stringent European food-grade standards. While other regions, such as Eastern Europe also cultivate mushrooms, they lack the scale, reliability, and infrastructure that China offers. Many Chinese growers operate multiple farms, ensuring a dependable supply should any harvest fail. The provinces Jiangxi, Fujian and Zhejiang have long-ranging tradition engrained in mushroom cultivation and produce the best quality.
We were searching for a producer who not only specialised in organic medicinal mushrooms but also handled every step of the farming and processing chain. After thorough assessment, we found an exceptional partner whose dedication and expertise set her apart from the competition.
Our Producer: A Trailblazer in Mushroom Cultivation
What makes our chosen producer remarkable is her journey and expertise. As a biological engineer, she started growing mushrooms over 30 years ago, beginning with a small farm that produced shiitake, maitake, cordyceps, lion’s mane, and reishi mushrooms. Over time, her business grew, attracting significant interest from international clients.
However, early on, reliance on third-party facilities for the processing step was a block to landing substantial contracts. And so, to overcome this problem, she expanded and established her own, end-to-end processing facility. Today, she controls every step of the production process—from growing and harvesting to cleaning, drying, extracting, and packaging. Each type of mushroom has a dedicated production line tailored to its specific needs, ensuring unmatched quality and purity.
Inside the Farms: A Labor of Precision and Care
We had the privilege of visiting both the farms and the processing facility. The level of meticulous care taken by the farmers was extraordinary. Mushroom farming in China begins with creating a substrate, often a log or a mixture of sawdust, soil, and nutrients, which is then inoculated with mushroom spores. These logs are incubated in hot, moist incubators to allow the mycelium—the root-like structure of mushrooms—to spread.
Once ready, the logs are planted in carefully protected soil in large tents, shielded from external elements. The mushrooms grow, drawing nutrients from the logs and transform it entirely by the time of harvest. Each log produces one or two harvests before the soil needs to rest for several years. This rotational farming ensures sustainability but also underscores the labor-intensive nature of the process.
The Art of Spore Collection
An especially fascinating aspect of mushroom farming is the collection of spores. In China, the spores—ultra-light particles that form on the mushroom cap—are considered a delicacy. Farmers wrap mature mushrooms with lightweight paper to capture the spores, brushing them carefully into pans. It takes thousands of mushrooms to yield just a few grams of spores, making this an intricate and prized process.
Beyond the Farms: High-Tech Processing
The producer’s processing facility is nothing short of state-of-the-art. Each mushroom variety is handled in separate production lines, adhering to rigorous hygiene protocols to ensure zero contamination. For example, reishi mushrooms, which are naturally hard and woody, require additional steps compared to the softer lion’s mane or the airy chaga. The processes include washing, grinding, sieving, tumbling, and re-grinding, followed by multiple quality checks.
While Europe predominantly consumes mushroom powders, the facility also specialises in extracting and concentrating valuable compounds such as polysaccharides. These extracts are highly sought after, with organic ratios ranging from 1:4 to 1:15.
Unique Expertise for the Western Market
Our producer’s experience extends beyond China. Having worked in Australia to cultivate both medicinal and culinary mushrooms, she gained a deep understanding of Western quality standards and consumer expectations. This knowledge has been instrumental in meeting the requirements of European, American, and Australian retail markets, making her a perfect partner for our endeavors.
The Wild Card: Chaga Mushrooms
Chaga is the only mushroom in this portfolio that cannot be farmed and is instead harvested from the wild. These mushrooms take one to two years to grow and are handpicked by foragers. The wild nature of chaga adds to its rarity and value, making it a unique offering in our product line.
Our trip to China resulted in complete confidence to deliver high-quality medicinal mushrooms to the European market. As the demand for natural superfoods continues to grow, our journey marks just the beginning of a new chapter in bringing the best of ancient wisdom and modern technology to your table.
