Cordyceps

Where it grows

Wild Ophiocordyceps sinensis fruits in spring on alpine meadows between 3500 and 5000 metres in the Himalayas, Tibet, and parts of western China, where ghost moth larvae overwinter underground. The fungus infects the larva, mummifies it, and pushes a single orange-brown club out through the head into the open air. Wild yarsagumba is one of the most valuable natural products on Earth.

How to recognise it

A small orange-brown club rising from the dried, intact body of a caterpillar. The whole specimen is sold as a single piece. Look for an intact caterpillar form attached to the stroma — broken pieces and powders are easily faked.

Edibility & cautions

Medicinal rather than culinary. Most commercial cordyceps today is cultivated Cordyceps militaris, a related species grown on rice substrate — a much cheaper and more sustainable option that still contains the active cordycepin. Discuss with a doctor before using, especially with anticoagulants and immunosuppressants.

Medicinal use

Used traditionally for fatigue and respiratory complaints. Modern research focuses on cordycepin’s effects on energy metabolism; results are encouraging but preliminary.