Teczcape-An Escape to Food

It was the first and last time I bought cordyceps. Rather, Mom bought them...for me.

Gosh. So super duper exorbitantly expensive! I was not aware of the cordyceps "market situation".

It was the last time as I will not be consuming it regularly for its claimed benefits (even if what good it does to the body is indeed true).

Instead, some carrots and woodear mushrooms were added to my version (which is actually an idea inspired by a friend). Luckily, the soup turned out great without being overpowered by the sweetness of carrots and earthiness of mushrooms.

夏季吃虫草，冬季不生病: literally translated from Mandarin, it means nourish with cordyceps during summer and you won't fall sick in winter. The Chinese believe in nourishment with food to strengthen the body and immunity. This is especially true when you live in a country with distinct four seasons and changes in temperatures tend to make the body weak and be susceptible to falling sick when immunity cells fails to respond.


What is cordyceps? It is the figurative description of a parasitic relationship between a caterpillar and the fungus, thus the Chinese name 冬虫夏草 (Caterpillar in Winter turned Fungus in Summer). Some even consider cordyceps as the world’s most researched mushroom for increasing endurance.


Cordyceps is often claimed to improve all systems of the body: slow aging process, boost immune responses, and increase strength and power - all related to the life energy (qi) including stamina and endurance. Some sources have even claimed that high cholesterol levels and cancer can be possibly cured by this wonder plant (drug).


Wonder or weird, you ask and question. I do not know. But the fact is the price of cordyceps has sky-rocketed basically 900% between 1998 and 2008, an annual average of over 20 percent!


The Chinese typically use cordyceps in herbal soups that is created to help cleanse and nourish the body. Cordyceps is also now available in supplements - so we can just pop a capsule for convenience instead of double-boiling herbal soups using the super-duper expensive cordycep ingredient.

Sharing Cordyceps herb with Weekend Herb Blogging WHB#343 hosted by Cleare of Il Pomodoro Rosso

Tag: cordyceps, herbs