Would you wake up at 4 am in freezing temperatures to collect a small plant? If you know how much it is worth then you would not mind doing so. Cordyceps: the new gold, grows in the Himalayas. As per the Bhutan Broadcasting Service cultivators to secure Nu 2.7million for a kilogram of best quality cordyceps. It is equal to $40,000 USD. To put that in perspective the price of gold per kilogram in 2017 was $37,000 USD.
Why is it so expensive? Before that, however, let us address the biology behind this peculiar plant. Cordyceps is a parasitic fungus that attacks a host usually a larva of an insect and replaces its tissues by its elongated fruit body. It is found only in cold Himalayan regions of Asia, therefore, it needs a lot of effort to cultivate. Parasite it maybe it has high medicinal value. As per the Healthline website, cordyceps boosts exercise performance, anti-aging properties, anti-tumor properties, help to manage type 2 diabetes, improves heart health and fights inflammation. These are just some of the benefits of cordyceps.
