In the Kyiv region, there is a family farm specializing in the cultivation of various types of mushrooms. It all started with a dozen square meters, striving for gastronomic exoticism and enthusiasm, and developed into a large enterprise selling products in tons.

The Savchuk family grows shiitake, eringo, ji-zong, piopini – about a dozen species of exotic mushrooms. The couple had the idea to create such a farm eight years ago. Then they could not find shiitake in Ukraine, so they decided to grow oriental mushrooms on their own.

Growing exotic mushrooms requires sterile conditions. First, the fungal mycelium is inoculated into substrate blocks of sawdust, bran and corn grits. This is done in a special inoculation room. You don't need to add anything else for the growth of mushrooms.

“The first harvest was even a little scary to try. My husband and I looked at each other, salted the mushrooms and ate them raw. Just in case, we washed down the shiitake with vodka. The mushrooms were quite tasty,” says the owner of the farm Laura Savchuk.

Oriental mushrooms are not the only exotic species of this kingdom grown in Ukraine. For example, white and black truffles are grown by Mikhail Kozma from the Chernivtsi region. To get the first harvest of mushrooms, the farmer waited for five years – it was during this time that truffles grew from the spores sown. However, having sown the mushrooms once, the crop can be harvested from the site within 10 – 20 years. White truffles are considered more valuable. The cost of the product is 400 euros per 100 grams.

SEEDS