As some of you may know I've recently spent several weeks in Nepal, sightseeing historic sights in the Kathmandu Valley and backpacking the Annapurna Circuit.
While trekking in the high Himalayas I was intrigued to see one local using a toothbrush to clean something that he referred to as "an insect." I was even more intrigued to find out that the thing that he was cleaning was apparently worth lots of money. If I remember correctly the local man claimed that each "insect" was worth at least $10 and I have to admit that I didn't believe him. I thought that either he was exaggerating or he was not too good with numbers.
Shame on me and my ignorance. The "insect" turned out to be the caterpillar fungus–also known as the Himalayan Viagra–the most expensive fungi in the world that sells for about $50,000 a pound.
Caterpillar fungus is a specimen created when a parasitic fungus infects the caterpillar of the ghost moth, ultimately killing and consuming it. After the fungus mummifies its prey underground, it shoots out of the top of the dead caterpillar's head and thrusts out of the soil. It's this tiny protuberance that the harvesters search for each spring.
In Tibet and Nepal the fungus is known as yartsa gunbu, whereas in India it goes by the name kira jari (or Indian Viagra). As you might have guessed from its English name, the fungus is thought to be an aphrodisiac. In traditional Chinese medicine it's also used for a treatment of cancer and aging, and it is used by some athletes as a performance-enhancing drug.
The fungus is especially popular in China where it fetches the highest price (of up to $100,000 a kilo). When sold by harvesters to a middle man, a single fungus fetches about 2-3 dollars, depending on its size and quality. That's much more than the average daily worker's wage, so the search for caterpillar fungus in the Himalayas resembles a bit the Californian gold rush. (Yes, some people even got killed over this precious fungus.)
The good news is that some people are able to collect lots of them in a single day, and use the money to build a house or finance their own or family member's education.
Read more on: BBC, CNN, NPR, or National Geographic.
While trekking in the high Himalayas I was intrigued to see one local using a toothbrush to clean something that he referred to as "an insect." I was even more intrigued to find out that the thing that he was cleaning was apparently worth lots of money. If I remember correctly the local man claimed that each "insect" was worth at least $10 and I have to admit that I didn't believe him. I thought that either he was exaggerating or he was not too good with numbers.
Shame on me and my ignorance. The "insect" turned out to be the caterpillar fungus–also known as the Himalayan Viagra–the most expensive fungi in the world that sells for about $50,000 a pound.
Caterpillar fungus is a specimen created when a parasitic fungus infects the caterpillar of the ghost moth, ultimately killing and consuming it. After the fungus mummifies its prey underground, it shoots out of the top of the dead caterpillar's head and thrusts out of the soil. It's this tiny protuberance that the harvesters search for each spring.
In Tibet and Nepal the fungus is known as yartsa gunbu, whereas in India it goes by the name kira jari (or Indian Viagra). As you might have guessed from its English name, the fungus is thought to be an aphrodisiac. In traditional Chinese medicine it's also used for a treatment of cancer and aging, and it is used by some athletes as a performance-enhancing drug.
The fungus is especially popular in China where it fetches the highest price (of up to $100,000 a kilo). When sold by harvesters to a middle man, a single fungus fetches about 2-3 dollars, depending on its size and quality. That's much more than the average daily worker's wage, so the search for caterpillar fungus in the Himalayas resembles a bit the Californian gold rush. (Yes, some people even got killed over this precious fungus.)
The good news is that some people are able to collect lots of them in a single day, and use the money to build a house or finance their own or family member's education.
Read more on: BBC, CNN, NPR, or National Geographic.