The story behind Taiga Naturkost

Russian Alexander Soynikow initially founded the book publishing company Vega in 1999, and before that translated spiritual works from his homeland into German. The first publications dealt with the landscape, myths and treasures of Siberia. Soon the idea arose to make one of these treasures of the Taiga accessible to the West: the pine nut. Alexander and his son Jaroslaw Sojnikow (40) found organic certification crucial from the beginning, and from 2004 they were the first suppliers of Siberian pine products in Western Europe with certification. Thus the spiritual publishing company gradually turned into the thriving import company Taiga Naturkost, of which Jaroslaw is now the CEO.

Even though the seeds actually come from Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica), which is closely related to mountain pine, we in Siberia prefer the term cedar nuts. In older editions of the famous Anastasia books (or The Humming Cedars of Russia), the Russian word for the tree "kedr" was translated as cedar, but biologists discovered that it was actually the Pinus Sibirica. Thus, the kedr is a Pinus.

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Why buy pine products from Taiga Naturkost?

✔ An incomparable natural product
✔ Collected in the wild from the pinus sibirica
✔ Source of protein and unsaturated fatty acids
✔ Pronounced, aromatic flavor
✔ 100% natural, raw and organic

Every year the Taiga team - themselves native Russians - visit the Altai Mountains. They then spend several days with the gatherers/ seasonal workers in the desolate wilderness and check the quality of the harvest.

The Altai Mountains: the home of Siberian pines with their Pearls of the Taiga

Endless forests, pure air and crystal clear mountain streams. Welcome to the Altai Mountains, Russia's border region with Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. The home of Siberian pines with their majestic canopy of tree canopies. Where many seeds are hidden in the cones of the trees. Full of nutritious minerals, vitamins and exceptionally high levels of essential fatty acids. For Siberians, all these qualities together make the pine the Pearl of the Taiga - and the pine the Tree of Life. The mighty Siberian pine (Pinus Sibirica) dates back to the last ice age. Rarely alone, mostly in dense cedar forests, these forest giants dominate Siberian old-growth forests. The thousands of needles of the ancient pines capture pure energy from the universe and store it in their needles, wood, pine cones and pits. Siberian pine trees can reach 500 to 700 years old and reach a height of 40 to 50 m.

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'We knew pine nuts from when we were little, but in the Soviet Union you could only buy them unpeeled.Everyone had to nibble them themselves ,' recalls Russian composer, publisher and former CEO of Taiga Naturkost Alexander Soynikow (72).

From pine cone to Gold of the Taiga

Harvesting pine nuts is strictly seasonal and takes two to three weeks. The pine cones are either picked up by collectors from the forest floor or vibrated from the trees by gently hitting the trees with a very large wooden mallet. The permanent peeling of pine nuts takes place in the factory. The nuts are catapulted against metal walls using a blower, cracking their shell. After extensive cleaning and sorting, some of the seeds are then vacuum-packed and prepared for shipment, while the other is cold-pressed to produce the fine pine nut oil known as the "Gold of the Taiga.

The rich nutritional value of Siberian pine nuts

The high nutritional value of the pine nut lies partly in its fats (about 90% unsaturated fatty acids, pinoleic acid) and proteins (high content of essential amino acids). Siberian pine nuts are rich in iron, magnesium and trace elements such as manganese, copper, zinc and cobalt, as well as vitamins (especially the E and B groups). The vitamin E content is very high (16 mg / 100 g = 160% daily requirement). The substances contained in pine nuts are enough to meet the 24-hour requirement of amino acids and trace elements of the body of an adult person.