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Everything you should know about Tongkat Ali
Tongkat Ali comes from the Eurycoma Longifolia bush – or rather from the roots of the bush. This plant can be found in Southeast Asia, in countries such as Burma, Thailand, Indonesia and others. Tongkat Ali contains strong bitter compounds that can shape the scent experience. The fragrance powder is not only popular in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia but has now gained popularity worldwide.
Depending on the region, the plant is used as fragrance powder or bath salt. In Germany, it is often placed in an incense burner, allowing its distinctive scent to spread throughout the room. Users believe it brings a sense of calm and relaxation.
What is Tongkat Ali?
Tongkat Ali comes from a plant called Eurycoma Longifolia, which most of all resembles a tall bush. It is also called Eurycoma Longifolia Jack or Longjack, and can grow up to 10 meters high. The extract can be obtained from all parts of the plant, but it is most concentrated in the root, and least concentrated in the leaves.
Which parts of the plant you use are a little different, depending on where in the world you are. The traditions vary, and you see predominantly that in Vietnam you often use the flowers and fruits from the bush for one thing, and the root for something else.
Many local areas use the plant for various things, but what has really opened the world’s eyes to Tongkat Ali is the extract that can be extracted from the root. It is also this extract that we use in our products.
We use extracts from the root to ensure as high a concentration as possible of the active substances in the plant, so we ensure that our customers always get the best possible product.
Where does Eurycoma Longifolia grow?
Eurycoma Longifolia grows in Southeast Asia, and primarily in Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. It can also be found in Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines. You can find the plant in the open, in jungle areas and forests in these areas. Due to the plant’s popularity, it is increasingly being cultivated in order to keep pace with global demand. However, many years pass from the time a plant first begins to sprout, until it is actually ready to be converted into the requested preparation.
The fact that Eurycoma Longifolia grows in very limited places also means that it is difficult to produce enough Tongkat Ali to satisfy the world’s needs. There is simply more demand than supply at the moment. And the whole thing is not made easier by the fact that the actual harvesting of Eurycoma Longifolia is also extremely difficult. Because the plant grows in dense jungle areas, it is not a plant where you just find a combine harvester.
In order to harvest the plant, you have to enter where it grows. And that means that you quickly find yourself in the company of snakes, poisonous insects, large cats, and other things that make the process difficult, to say the least. And it’s not enough just to pick the leaves. The coveted part of the plant is, as mentioned before, the root itself. Therefore, it must be dug free – often with the help of small hand tools, after which the root must be transported out of the jungle again.
So, to that extent, it is a hard and dangerous day at the office. And if you then add that all this is done in a heat and humidity that would make even the worst Danish heat wave turn pale, then you just have to take your hat off to the talented people who, day after day, wander out into the jungle to find the roots of these fantastic plants.
And if you’re not locally known, you might as well give up hunting for the plant. Not all plants can be used, because if you want the best possible product, and at the same time want there to be something to harvest in the future, you only harvest Eurycoma Longifolia that has reached a certain age. In our case, the entire 5 years.
Often several plants will grow in the same place, and here it is important that the local “farmers” keep a sharp eye on the area. Precisely for this reason, the best farmers also have detailed records of where they harvested, what other plants they sowed nearby, and how old they appear to be. In this way, they can keep control of the area, and ensure that they can always find the best roots for production.
How Tongkat Ali is produced
As mentioned, the highest concentration of the active substances is found in the root of the Tongkat Ali plant, which is of course the reason why we only use the root in our production. In order to make an extract, the roots are placed in a vat of 120 degree hot water, where after several hours a paste can be extracted from the contents of the root. The whole “opkoget” is made with frequent stirring and filtering, so in this way you ensure that you get as much as possible.
With such high demand for Tongkat Ali, and such difficult harvest conditions, it is important that as little as possible is wasted in our production. At the same time, it is essential for us that our customers get the best possible quality, which is the reason for the thorough drying process that follows.
To ensure that you pay for as little water and moisture in the product as possible, the pasta is dried after cooking by spraying it out in a heating chamber, with an air flow of 170 degrees. In this way, the paste eventually turns into a fine and dry powder, where as much moisture and water as possible is removed.
This drying process is important for the quality of the final product, and is crucial for the Tongkat Ali we send out to our customers to meet our strict quality requirements. Therefore, the process lasts for a full seven hours, and if necessary, it is repeated until the product is completely perfect and ready to be shipped.
What you are left with, after this careful and time-consuming process, is a 100% natural product, of the highest quality, which is ready to be packaged and sent out to happy consumers all over the world.
In addition to obtaining a more potent end product, drying also ensures that the durability of the goods is increased. The more moisture that is removed, the longer the product could last. And with a product that is so difficult to harvest, and that requires so much production work, it is important to waste as little as possible. Both in the jungle, in production, and also at home in the kitchen.
The Different Qualities of Tongkat Ali
Since Tongkat Ali is a natural product, and you want to keep this principle as much as possible, it also requires that you have a slightly different way of measuring the product’s quality.
Since you can never be 100% sure where the extract is in the product, it has been chosen to measure the quality based on the production method – and more specifically based on where much red is used.
That is, if you use 100 kilos of root in production, and are left with 1 kilo of pure extract, you are dealing with a quality called 100:1. If you dry the extract further, and get even more moisture and water out of the product, you may end up with only half a kilo of extract, which means that half a kilo of additional moisture has been removed. That’s the ratio 200:1.
To ensure that our customers actually get what they pay for, we only sell Tongkat Ali of the highest quality – namely 200:1. So be careful when you buy Tongkat Ali elsewhere, as it may be a less concentrated product of a lower quality.
This is extremely important if you only look at the price of the product. It goes without saying that you can sell a “thinner” product significantly cheaper than the pure product. So when you compare prices, make sure that at the same time you keep the quality up to each other.
Why buy Tongkat Ali with us?
Due to the increasing demand for good quality Tongkat Ali, it can often be difficult for retailers to have enough goods on the shelves.
This is of course not made easier by the slow harvest, that the plants must be at least five years old, and that production can take very long to be completed. This can often lead producers to try to take a few shortcuts here and there, in order to secure their turnover. These shortcuts are unfortunately often in the form of a drop in quality, so consumers get an inferior product, which is not as potent.
We could have chosen to go this way, but we think the most important thing is that we maintain as high a quality as possible. We do not want to compromise on the quality for our customers, and would rather work hard to ensure that we have as much of the product in stock as possible, so that our customers can both have a stable place to buy their Tongkat Ali, without worrying for the quality.
Having said that, it is of course also important to say that, although we do everything we absolutely can, we are also in fierce competition with other Tongkat Ali dealers. Therefore, it can be a good idea to buy plenty when the product is in stock, so you don’t have to worry if you run out.
When you buy the product from us, you are always sure that the quality is in order, and that as much moisture as possible has been removed. In addition to ensuring high quality – every time – it also ensures that your item has a long shelf life, so you can buy a large amount with peace of mind. This way you avoid running out, and you don’t have to worry about your stock getting too old.
FAQ
What is Tongkat Ali?
Tongkat Ali is an extract that comes from the Eurycoma Longifolia plant (also called Eurycoma Longifolia jack).
Where can you buy it?
You can buy Tongkat Ali in Europe in a few selected health stores, and online. Our wish is to maintain good quality and low prices for our customers, so they have a safe place to shop.
Is it only for men?
Although historically it has primarily been men who have used Tongkat, the extracts can be used by both men and women.