Cordyceps (dongchong xiacao, 冬虫夏草)

[Photo by Pauline D. Loh/China Daily]

The moth caterpillar is attacked by fungus, which slowly takes over the insect body and develops into a mushroom the following spring.

It is found primarily on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as well as in the northern parts of Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan provinces.

Traditional Chinese medical practitioners swear by its immunity-enhancing properties and it is often prescribed to "strengthen the qi", the energy force in the body. Current price for cordyceps is about 200 yuan ($32) per gram, or 200,000 yuan per kilogram.