Lai Chau’s premier cordyceps brand

Persisting with a clean cultivation approach

Located at No. 533 Tran Hung Dao Street, Tan Phong ward, Lai Chau Province, the lights at the Huy Cuong Cordyceps cultivation workshop have consistently remained on for many years. Inside enclosed incubation rooms, thousands of fungus trays are growing under strictly monitored and controlled conditions.

Ms. Bui Thi Van, the owner of the facility, recalls the early days when the production space spanned only a few dozen square meters, the equipment was primitive, and machines had to be self-engineered through trial and error.

To date, the production acreage has expanded to over 4.000 square meters, creating regular employment for 26 local workers. Even though the operational scale has multiplied many times over, the facility strictly retains the original production method that Ms. Van pursued from the very beginning, cultivating along natural lines with minimal human impact or intervention.

Cordyceps is a fungus that parasitizes the larvae of moths. In winter, the larvae hibernate deep within the soil; in summer, the fungus develops, absorbing nutrients from the host and sprouting above the ground. This natural cycle of "insect in winter, herb in summer" birthed the unique name of this precious medicinal ingredient.

Inside the incubation rooms at the Huy Cuong facility, this natural cycle is replicated almost entirely. The utilized host is silkworm pupae, without any addition of growth stimulants.

"When people drink a cup of tea produced by our facility, they find it aromatic and easy to consume. The mushrooms possess a deep orange color because they are grown through a clean process. We produce the fungus entirely on silkworm pupae under strict quality control, mirroring exactly how the mushroom grows in the wild," Ms. Van shared.

To maintain this cultivation method, the entire process is monitored stringently. The temperature, humidity, light, and cleanliness of the incubation rooms are kept completely stable.

After about two months, the mushrooms reach their maximum height but are not harvested immediately. The growers must wait longer for the stalks to accumulate active compounds before processing. The cultivation cycle lasts from 2.5 to 3 months. Upon harvesting, fresh cordyceps possess a mild aroma and soft fibers that feel as smooth as velvet to the touch.

According to the owner, fresh cordyceps can only be preserved for about 5 to 7 days. Therefore, the products must undergo immediate primary processing to extend their shelf life. After harvesting, the mushrooms are transferred into a freeze-drying system. The workshop currently operates 8 dryers, each with a capacity of approximately 50 kg per batch.

The freeze-drying method takes place at ultra-low negative temperatures, allowing the water within the product to sublimate directly under low pressure without altering the structural integrity of the fungus. Thanks to this, the product retains its natural shape, color, and flavor. Fruiting bodies that display a deep orange color from root to tip are considered a key identifier of a clean product untouched by chemical intervention, preserving up to 99% of precious active compounds such as Cordycepin and Adenosine.

The workshop has a designed capacity of approximately 10.000 product boxes per day. However, actual output is dynamically adjusted according to market demand, typically averaging 3.000 to 4.000 boxes per day to guarantee uniform quality and avoid inventory build-up. The selling price fluctuates from 200.000 to 400.000 VND (USD 7.67 - 15.33) per 50-100 grams.

"This product is the dedication of almost my entire life. In the early days of entering this trade, everything had to be self-taught and self-done. My only wish is for Vietnamese consumers to access clean mushrooms at reasonable prices," Ms. Van said.

Elevating the value of Vietnamese medicinal resources

For a long time, cordyceps has been recognized as a precious medicinal resource in Eastern medicine, commonly utilized to nourish the body, enhance health, and support physical recovery.

Numerous international studies have also recorded the biological activities of this fungus. According to Professor Xuanwei Zhou (Plant Biotechnology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University), the active compounds in cordyceps have the capacity to enhance the immune system, provide antioxidant and anti-mutagenic effects, and inhibit certain cancer cell lines in experimental research.

However, cordyceps is currently not recognized as a therapeutic medication because its exact mechanism of action still requires further research and clarification.

In Vietnam, this product remains relatively new to many consumers. The comparatively high selling price also serves as a barrier to the widespread use of cordyceps.

The products from the Huy Cuong facility have achieved a 3-star OCOP certification, ISO certification, and validation as a safe food supply chain. This forms the baseline foundation for the brand to expand its consumption in the domestic market.

Currently, the unit is nurturing plans to develop new product lines, such as cordyceps liquid extracts and products combining bird's nest with cordyceps, to reach a broader range of customer segments. "We are deeply dedicated and want domestic consumers to utilize clean products at a fair price. But to truly elevate its value, the facility heavily needs cooperation and support from large enterprises, especially within the pharmaceutical sector," Ms. Van expressed.

The owner stated that she has researched international standards, such as US FDA and European Union regulations, in preparation for future exports. However, at the current scale, perfecting quality management criteria, technical dossiers, and traceability remains a difficult puzzle.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Dong, Deputy Director of the Lai Chau Department of Agriculture and Environment, assessed that cordyceps products are opening a new frontier for development in local agriculture. Nonetheless, this field demands substantial initial capital investments, modern manufacturing technology, and high operational costs.

At present, the entire province hosts only 2 cordyceps cultivation and processing facilities, primarily producing freeze-dried fiber products. While the room for development remains vast, expanding the operational scale requires a proper roadmap and synchronized support.

$ 1 = VND 26,466. Source: Vietcombank.

In the coming time, Lai Chau Province will continue to accompany units in developing high-economic-value agricultural specialties and medicinal materials integrated with science and technology applications, deep processing, and value chain building. Simultaneously, the province will bridge production facilities with research institutes, scientific entities, and distribution enterprises to perfect manufacturing workflows and step-by-step expand the consumption market.