A special treat for the dining table
When you visit the production facility you realize that the barriers to entry are very high, which is why at present such facilities exist only in Japan and Taiwan.
Plant director Liang Yung Chih points out the key factor in their production process: “The sawdust used for cultivating mushrooms in Taiwan usually comes from a mixture of broadleaf tree species, but we bring in entire containers of Japanese cedar logs by sea from Japan. These logs are 15‡30 centimeters in diameter and 20 meters long, and they are crushed up and allowed to ferment for six months before we can use them as a growing medium.” Jinlife tried using Taiwanese cedar instead, but was not able to grow hon-shimeji mushrooms with it.
Even though there was direct technology transfer from Japan, after beginning operations in May of 2017 Jinlife Biotech had to spend more than a year adjusting the raw materials and production process before achieving a stable production volume for hatake-shimeji mushrooms, and it took even longer to reach a stable volume for hon-shimeji mushrooms.
Hon-shimeji mushrooms require fastidious cleanliness, and much “pampering” in the production process.
The pampering is in the details. Standing in the mist-filled “thinning area,” Liang Yung Chih gives a case in point: “During the technology transfer, regarding humidity control the Japanese told us we should judge the humidity by how clearly a person could see their fingers with their arm outstretched. We wondered why they didn’t just give us a precise number for the humidity.” But when actually cultivating the mushrooms, workers discovered that even when the instrument-measured humidity was exactly at the prescribed level, the surface of the mushrooms would split because the air was too dry. It turned out that it really is best to judge the humidity by sight, so that if the air is too dry one can quickly spray more water into the air. Meanwhile, too much water vapor will cause “water damage.” Only if the humidity is just right will the surface of the mushrooms grow to have a velvety appearance but be smooth to the touch.
Hon-shimeji mushrooms have proven to be a big hit with consumers. In 2019 Jinlife began selling them through PX Mart supermarkets across Taiwan. Its production volume now stands at 120,000 boxes per month, or about 14 metric tons, and demand still outstrips supply. Exports account for about 20% of sales. Jinlife has already received permission to use “organic” labeling in the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand under “organic equivalency” agreements, and plans to strike out into the Australian and New Zealand markets, further spreading the renown of Taiwan mushrooms overseas.
Jinlife Biotech has adopted the 5S environmental management concept from electronics manufacturers to manage their mushroom growing facilities.