In 2006, two young men, Eleftherios Lahouvaris and Athanasios Mastroyannis, both university graduates in Agriculture but also with great experience in mushroom growing, founded "Dirfis" – a company situated Northern Evia. Being dedicated and passionate lovers of the agricultural mycology sector, they are ‘fiercely’ engaged in the cultivation of pleurotus mushrooms and in the production of products of high gastronomical and bioactive, functional value. They participate in pioneering research projects in cooperation with universities; they constantly make sure they keep up to date with the latest developments in their field. Moreover, they share their knowledge of mushrooms through international congresses and seminars.

What "Dirfis" does, is to collect and dry wild mushrooms found in the Greek forests and launch them to the market. Eleftherios and Athanasios aim at creating new products based on mushrooms and also emphasizing their nutritious and bioactive ingredients.Dirfis has installed its mushroom cultivation unit at a safety distance of 7 km from the substrate production unit to ensure that conditions of hygiene are kept high and that risk of infection during pasteurization and incubation is kept at its lowest possible level.

Dirfis chose its location at the foothills of Mount Dirfis very carefully using stringent environmental criteria. The company’s production unit is surrounded by lush vegetation and is characterized by a terrain that is ideal for the creation of the microclimate mushrooms need in order to grow. The location of the plant is free of any vehicle or industrial pollution and follows to the letter all the specifications necessary in producing wholesome products that are rid of any external polluting factors. One of the most impressive natural phenomena is how rapidly and suddenly mushrooms appear. That phenomenon is directly linked to the evaporation rate of the mycelium’s growing fruit body and osmotic pressure. By applying the appropriate ventilation and by maintaining the cultivation cabin at the right temperature and humidity, the Dirfis team ensures that the evaporation rate of its precious cultivations will remain within required levels.

Chios belongs to the group of islands of the northern Aegean. It is the fifth largest Greek island and it is characterized by its long history dating back to the Neolithic era. The island originally enjoyed great naval and economic power, right up to its conquest and destruction by the Persians in 493 BC. After that, it gradually regained its autonomy and independence until the invasion of the island by the Romans and finally its complete destruction by powerful earthquakes. The reorganization of the island started again in the 11th century. In 1204 it passed into the hands of Constantinople (Istanbul), then to the Genoese and after that, to the Turks until 1822, when the legendary massacre of Chios by the Turks took place and finally to the liberation of the island in 1912.

Today, Chios is an important travel and culinary destination, proud of its splendid pebbly and sandy beaches, the traditional settlements, the Byzantine churches, the monasteries, the stone mansions and the narrow alleys winding through its medieval villages. The wonderful gardens in Chios, filled with citrus fruit trees, the crops, the thyme, the lentisk and the fragrant mastiha, all give a sense of peace, tranquillity, elegance and authenticity to this island.Chios is a magnificent island blessed by Nature. It has an illustrious historical past and an equally celebrated culinary tradition. But, above all, Chios is known worldwide for mastiha, a unique natural product exclusive to the island. Mastiha gave its name to a number of medieval settlements in southern Chios which are known as Mastihohoria. The settlements were established in Byzantine times and, despite the ravages of Time, they are still considered monuments of cultural heritage.